For those of you who know me at all or remotely around me you can easily figure out that this is my favorite verse. I have it tattooed on my foot, I recited often, I have cute art and plaques with it, I have a journal with it on the cover. It's my life verse. It brings me peace and hope in time of struggle.
It's all about embracing his plan.
You see the call to not only trust God but to have peace in knowing he will carry you through it.
"Then you will call upon me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." declares the Lord, "and I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations in places where I have been banished you." Declares the Lord, "and I will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
'With all your heart" Not just parts of your heart crying for ease. Not just the part of your heart crying for restoration. But find that place in your heart eager for growth, and let it cry out as well. Embrace his perfect plan, and you will find God, see his plan from his perspective, and enjoy peace right in the middle of the storm. He will carry us. This is the season of growth. This is the part of the plan. Continue to call on him with great confidence, realizing that nothing, no hard place, can separate you from God's comforting presence and boundless mercy. This will soon pass, and on the other side waits Rich perspectives, beautiful growth, and yes, stronger faith.
I have read Jeremiah 29:11 a thousand times. But truthfully I never thought to read past it. Not even sure why. But then I did and it brought my light into what the verse means for me.
God is hearing me. He's heard me all along. When I've prayed for my friends when I was in youth group. When I prayed for my college experience. When I prayed for guidance on my life. When I found out about my infertility. When I begged and begged God for a child and for healing for my body. When I suffered with anger, anxiety, & depression. He's heard me when I asked for my marriage not to end, to help S, to help me, and to protect me in the situation.
God doesn't have deaf ears.
Plan A, B, C and so on just wasn't working. The control freak in me well was freaking out!!!
My dream life wasn't happening. My marriage was falling apart, I couldn't have kids so I wasn't ever going to become a mom, I wasn't building my dream home, I wasn't happy about anything really. And it all sucked. A LOT!
I sucked it up. I got to the point where I truly had to believe the verse I had tattooed on my foot. That my God would not harm me and he would give me hope and peace. And he did. In the midst of my storm inside the valley he gave my a new church that taught the gospel so clearly that I falling in love with God all over again. He gave me a community of believers that prayed for me, helped me when I needed prayer or just to sit and ugly cry. My faith grew stronger. I learned to lean on God and trust in his plan. He knew what was to come of me. I just needed to let go and let God. When I did. I was able to live again. Sleep came. Eating came. Laughter came. Love came.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 shows there is hope in the midst of disasters. If it's not good, then God's not done. God keeps his promises in His time. Not ours. Even though we would like it to be ours and boy am I thankful it's not!! I realized that the bad circumstances I was going through are not the result of God abandoning me or you. Because God is faithful to us, we can trust Him and do what He says. Our relationship with God isn't based on our actions, but our connection to Jesus. God changes our lives by first changing our hearts.
The Struggle is Part of the Story
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