WEDNESDAY: HE HAS PLANS TO PROSPER ME

Sep 14, 2022
3 min read

Lord, I still struggle with understanding why I have trials in this life. Help me to see that Your desire is to guide me through each trial.

Jeremiah 29:10-14

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. 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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 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.”

The Lord promised He would return the Israelites to Israel after they had spent 70 years in Babylon. The exile to Babylon was the Lord’s discipline of the Israelites for their rebellious nature in turning away from Him; however, the Lord did not let go of His love for them, just as He doesn’t let go of His love for us.

The Lord declares He already knows what tomorrow holds for me. These plans include:

Plans to prosper me. The root word of prosper is peace; His plans are to bring peace to my heart, so I can clearly follow His plans.

Plans not to harm me. My mind is confused by the trials and temptations which the world throws at me; God purposes to walk me through these and use them for good in my life.

Plans to give me hope. When I see progress, even through trials, I have hope that I will get through it. Even better yet, I have hope and know that the Lord is in control instead of me.

Plans to give me a future. I also become confused if I think these plans are to make me successful; the future He has created me for is an eternal one with Him, and that is the future I want to dream about.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: After the cleansing of my heart in the discipline of the Lord, then I will call on Him and He will listen. Then I will seek Him with all my heart, and I will find Him. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find” (Matt. 7:7).

Only after my willingness to obey the Lord through trials, am I willing to give up my entire heart and seek Him alone. Only after He has cleared room in my heart will He fill it with His desires. Only through His plans will I prosper, have peace, and have hope. If I think I can accomplish these things on my own, I will fall short. Lord, I ask You to guide me through trials, so I can see Your plans come to fruition in my life.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman