Key verse: “For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:10,11).
A lady, who had been treated for depression, hanged herself with a belt in her bedroom closet in 2006 after receiving a message saying the world would be better without her.
The Lord knew the right words that would encourage Israel at the hour of her need. Against the backdrop of his struggle with incurable false prophets at home, Jeremiah addressed a letter of hope to the exiles at Babylon. Jeremiah’s letter was intended to calm their nerves and bring them hope from the living God.
He mentioned that the Lord has thoughts of peace towards them and not of evil. That God is not out there watching to bring evil upon them but to seek their peace if only they can cooperate and obey Him. His plan was to give them an expected end: that is, a future and a hope. They must, however forsake the counsel of false prophets prophesying an immediate end to their captivity, while praying for the peace of the city wherein they were taken captives.
God knows the thoughts He thinks toward us and His thoughts are the only ones that count for He knows what tomorrow holds for us. It makes no difference what other people think of us. His plan is towards our eternal happiness. Desiring to know what God thinks of us is all we should be concerned with. Too often we get caught up in other people’s opinions of us while we neglect the one opinion that matters.
God knows you — by name, by address, by spirit, by personality. His thoughts toward you are of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). God wants to give you the desires of your heart if only you can let Him reign supreme in your heart.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: you relinquish the desire to control your future, you obtain: happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment