But what about the rest of us? Those of us who don't hear the bell go off until its too late and the damage cannot be reversed? What do you do when all you have left of what once was beautiful are pictures and memories of the way things "used to be"?
For the rest of us - I've come look at Jeremiah 29:11 in a whole new appreciation. Truthfully, there was a time I was angry with the overuse of references to this verse - seeming to offer promises to everyone that God's plans involve nothing but prosperity and success.
The context of Jeremiah 29 tell us that this letter was sent to the people who were taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylonian captivity. They were stripped from everything once precious to them! their homes, their families, their beloved city, their rich history... Those in exile were forced into mourning by the hand of God - leaving only a fragment of what once was a beautiful nation. For 50 years the remnant of Israel was restricted from their homeland in the bonds of mourning and reflection.
Then Jeremiah tells them in verse 11 of God's plans... "to prosper them and not to harm them." The promise of prosperity indeed was part of the plan - but only after they were made to suffer the consequences of their actions. Israel remained fragile during their exile - fragile for the purpose of humility and maturity.
For those of you who know me - I welcome your prayers during this difficult time in my life and in the life of my family. Brokenness has invaded my homeland and has removed me from everything I once held precious and dear to me. But I know the plans of promise the Lord has for me. They are the same plans He has for anyone who belong to Him - to strip us of our distractions, to humble us and to help us grow beyond our crippled condition. I thank God for His mercy and grace - that I've been spared from His wrath and held in preserve for the remainder of His plans for my life.
