We are each designed for a unique and divine purpose. Live yours!

Monday, January 7, 2013

God's "Got My Back"

""For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you" (Jeremiah 29:11-12 NIV).

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun" (Psalm 37:4-6).

The desires of your heart. This statement opens a huge can of worms in my faith life! The desires of my heart?  This statement takes me places I don't want to go, because I know full well there are things and situations and circumstances that I wish/ desire to different than they are currently and will be in the future!

Then I think about these verses a little more, from another perspective and I frame the passage with other scripture. This psalm isn't urging us to go to God as a child approaches Santa! God doesn't operate that way at all! We're not being promised that if we take delight in the Lord, all the desires of our "human" hearts will be given to us.

In Jeremiah, God delcares His plan is to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. But neither of these is to be viewed through the lens of our humanity! Rather, we are to transcend our humanity by not approaching God with a "if you'll do XXX for me, I'll YYY." Nor does God offer us a carrot and a stick.

God's greatest desire is for our well-being and joy! We are so precious to Him! Just as we would never give a child something that would harm them, God protects us. Our delight in the Lord is because of that truth! We are not to delight in Him "if", but "because."

God's plans for us are far greater, much more magnificent and amazing than we could ever even conceive. We need only to trust God, to give Him charge of our plans and dreams-and desires of our heart. We may not reap what we think is best/ important/ necessary for us here on earth. We may not realize the success/ wealth/ reward we have decided we want. But we can delight in God because "He's got our backs." He offers us hope and a future--a future with Him in heaven.

That is reason enough to delight!
Blessings on your journey,
Mary

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