Walking the walk

Have you ever heard Jeremiah 29:11?  The chances are, that if you've been a Christian for any amount of time, or had any sort of Christian graduation or coming of age ceremony, that this verse has been quoted at you on more than one occasion.  But there's a problem with quoting just the one verse.  The rest of the chapter is often left out.  People fail to take into account the context of the verse, to understand what God was really saying.

The Israelites were in exile when this chapter was written.  They had been there for years, and it did not look like they were going to be able to return to their homeland any time soon.  So the Lord told them, that after seventy years, He would bring them back out of exile.  That is followed by the famous Jeremiah 29:11 - "'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 a hope and a future.'"

So already, the context of the verse has changed.  It goes from a happy-go-lucky promise of a wonderful, perfect life with the Lord, to a promise of a fulfillment of His word...after 70 years!  That's more than an entire generation!  Already, they had to have been wondering what God was thinking.  But then, it gets even trickier.  The Lord says that He will listen to them - when they call upon Him and pray to Him.  He says that they will find Him - when they seek Him with all of their heart.

Jeremiah 29:11 is not a promise of an easy life.  It's not saying that we can just sit on our laurels, basking in our "Christian-ness," and that the Lord will give us a happy and prosperous existence.  God wants us to seek after Him with all of our hearts....and then He will bless us.  And He wants us to seek Him through the bad times too, not only the good times.

God has promised to keep His promises to us - but in His timing, not ours.  For an entire generation of Israelites, that meant that they lived their whole lives without seeing the fulfillment of His word.  Did that mean that God didn't love them?  No, of course not.  It just meant they had to learn to be patient and wait on His timing, not their own.  It meant that they had to learn to truly walk the walk, not only talk the talk - to depend on Him and trust in Him and commune with Him.  Even when it may not have seemed like He was really looking out for them, they had to trust that He was, anyway.

Jeremiah 29:1-14

This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2(This was after King Jehoiachin[a] and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD.10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11For 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Why does God always come out of nowhere?

When I was in high school I had my whole life planned out for myself.  When I started college the plan had changed, but a definite plan still existed.  Now, almost on the flip side of college, I look back (and forward) and realize that I have no idea where my life is going.  Not only that, but the things that have have been most influential and most shaped my life I would have never predicted in a million years.  Going to Berry College.  My trip to Costa Rica.  My internships at Shaw at GSU.  I have grown so much these past few years, and the path of my life has changed so drastically.  I am so grateful that at least God knows my future, because sometimes I'm hopelessly confused.

Like now.  Adults weren't kidding when they said that graduating is scary.  I'm blessed enough to be able to say that my problem is not a lack of options, but rather a plethora of them.  Proverbs 19:21 is only too true - it says, "many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."  I have too many opportunities, and cannot choose between them.  And two of them, a summer internship and a job in Philadelphia, have really come out of nowhere within the past week.  I would never have even considered them before; but remembering how God has a habit of sending me opportunities from left field, I have to give pause and consider them a little more closely.  One of them is an internship with a church in Boston over the summer, mentoring middle-school aged girls.  I've never felt called to enter the Ministry, and would never have sought this out on my own.  But I DO love people, and I DO feel called to do big things for God, things that are out of my comfort zone.  Another one is a public policy job in Philadelphia - another thing that I would never, ever have pursued on my own.  But it seems to align itself surprisingly well with my passions.  Of course, then I also have Fulbright and GA Tech to think about, too.  With all of these conflicting opportunities and decisions, I'm left kind of floundering and wondering where I'm supposed to go.

It's times like these when I'm especially grateful for the peace and comfort (and direction!) that God's Word offers.  Of course there's the often-quoted Jeremiah 29:11 - "'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 a hope and a future.'"  But that's not the only source of comfort that can be found in the Bible.  Another one of my personal favorites is Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the ways of a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."  Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."  Psalm 119:105 - "Your Word is a lamo to my feet and a light to my path."  Psalm 71:5 - "For You are my hope, O LORD God; You are my trust from my youth."  Joshua 1:9 - "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

There are plenty more examples, but this is probably enough for now.  The point is, God is with us.  He knows us, He knows our future, and He loves us more than we could ever imagine.  So pay attention...when something comes your way that you would not have looked for, it may be God's way of telling you that He knows best!  O Lord, I pray that you give me the wisdom to tell the difference between random opportunities and divine intervention.  To You be the glory always....