Here’s a short Bible verse about hope.
“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.” Jeremiah 29:11
I enjoy this verse, simply because it speaks to me. I find it interesting that, regardless of how old the Bible is, it is a functional piece of literature. To that end, I mean that what was applicable to someone centuries ago is equally applicable to me now, even though our circumstances may vary greatly.
I’m not currently under threat of a siege or hostile takeover. To my knowledge, there is no impending calamity or natural disaster upcoming. The thing that I have in common with ancient readers of this text is the human condition. Perhaps more aptly, the frailty of the human mind.
It is so easy to have hope and faith when things are working in our favor. The irony is that hope is most clearly demonstrated in the complete absence of things working in our favor. The problem is, that’s also when it’s the most difficult.
Similar to courage, it’s hard to be courageous without the challenges. It’s difficult to remain hopeful if you’re always getting what you want.
I like this verse, because it affirms that God does have a plan for me. And it’s not a plan as such that I’m experiencing in my current condition. The plan is not for me to “survive” or “get by.” The plan is to prosper me. The plan is for me to be successful, and to have a future.
This verse speaks to me because of the situation that I’ve been in for almost the past decade now.
I’ve been working diligently to build a homestead on land that we purchased. This Bible verse about hope reminds me that even when things look bleak, there is a plan – and it’s better than any plan that I’ve had.
In the time that we’ve been living here, I’ve had numerous plans for how to achieve our goals. I’ve even come up with plans just to plan!
The problem is, I’m just left with my plans, and hoping that they come to fruition. And they don’t. Or, they haven’t yet. That’s probably because my plans are not God’s plans. I don’t know or see the big picture, so my plans must be small by comparison. It’s no wonder that they have not been successful.
If I could just get out of the way and hop on the path of God’s plan, life would be so much easier. I wouldn’t have to struggle every day.
My problem is that I just don’t know what God’s plan is. But, He tells me that He has one, and I’m sure it’s pretty good. For now, I’ll have to just be content with that.
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