I look at my calendar for the month of May and then for the month of June. Each day is up in the air. I have no true plans nor do I really know what our summer looks like. I lift my eyebrows and quell the flutter in my heart. Being Type A does that to you. Having no real plan, I feel like we are on shaky ground. Even the platform wedges I convinced myself to wear on my last date night feel more sturdy than my life at the moment. I'm thinking it's not just the Type A's that would get nervous about a lack of plan or purpose or direction, right?
So after I shared last week (ie. spilled my guts) about the words I use when asked how our move to Texas is going, I've honestly evaluated my words...honestly. Not fun to take a hard look. And then I took to Scripture rather than the swirling negative thoughts surfacing in my mind. What do we usually do in times like this? Yep...google Scripture. Or do we dig into our go- to Bible verses that we used to doodle in Math class in the seventh grade rather than working on excruciating fractions? Wait...maybe that was just me... Probably was. That was me doodling cute words based off of our go-to Scripture that we usually place on cute magnets or posters with fluffy Kittens that say something like this:
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 NIV)
Yes, this is the go-to verse we tell ourselves (or share with others?) that things are going to be ok. We tell ourselves that God has PLANS, God will PROSPER us, He will give us a great FUTURE. But, FRIENDS!!! Let us not stop at Jeremiah 29:11...please keep reading...verse 12...verse 13...verse14...maybe the whole chapter...maybe the whole book or Jeremiah??
Our intentions might be spot on. We mean so well when we encourage those who are hurting, feel rejected, forgotten by God. We mean so well when we pep ourselves up as our bank accounts lay empty or the job market is not in our favor. God will prosper us...God will fill up our account...God will come through for us with a brand spankin' new house.
But are we seeking after Prosper, Well-being, Hope, Future with our pre-conceived notions about just what true prospering looks like?
Let's be WOMEN who go to the depths beyond the doodling of just the verses that inspire on those cute Facebook or Instagram graphics. Might we keep reading?
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...(Jeremiah 29:11-14 emphasis mine)
You will seek ME
You will find ME
says the LORD
Seek, find: with all your HEART.
Let's get bold here, friends! As I look at a house that has not one buyer toward a move where I'm not sure where we will lay our head, Jesus tells me to SEEK HIM for prosper and plans. What if my notion of prospering and future and plans were wrapped up ONLY in who the Bible says God is? A life entangled by the grace of our Lord. It's a grace that tells us to go on with our day, not fretting or head spinning –– ever CONSUMED with seeking after GOD Himself. GOD. HIMSELF.
I look at my calendar for the month of May and then for the month of June. Each day is up in the air. I have no true plans nor do I really know what our summer looks like. I lift my eyebrows and quell the flutter in my heart. Being Type A does that to you. Having no real plan, I feel like we are on shaky ground. Even the platform wedges I convinced myself to wear on my last date night feel more sturdy than my life at the moment. I'm thinking it's not just the Type A's that would get nervous about a lack of plan or purpose or direction, right?
So after I shared last week (ie. spilled my guts) about the words I use when asked how our move to Texas is going, I've honestly evaluated my words...honestly. Not fun to take a hard look. And then I took to Scripture rather than the swirling negative thoughts surfacing in my mind. What do we usually do in times like this? Yep...google Scripture. Or do we dig into our go- to Bible verses that we used to doodle in Math class in the seventh grade rather than working on excruciating fractions? Wait...maybe that was just me... Probably was. That was me doodling cute words based off of our go-to Scripture that we usually place on cute magnets or posters with fluffy Kittens that say something like this:
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 NIV)
Yes, this is the go-to verse we tell ourselves (or share with others?) that things are going to be ok. We tell ourselves that God has PLANS, God will PROSPER us, He will give us a great FUTURE. But, FRIENDS!!! Let us not stop at Jeremiah 29:11...please keep reading...verse 12...verse 13...verse14...maybe the whole chapter...maybe the whole book or Jeremiah??
Our intentions might be spot on. We mean so well when we encourage those who are hurting, feel rejected, forgotten by God. We mean so well when we pep ourselves up as our bank accounts lay empty or the job market is not in our favor. God will prosper us...God will fill up our account...God will come through for us with a brand spankin' new house.
But are we seeking after Prosper, Well-being, Hope, Future with our pre-conceived notions about just what true prospering looks like?
Let's be WOMEN who go to the depths beyond the doodling of just the verses that inspire on those cute Facebook or Instagram graphics. Might we keep reading?
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...(Jeremiah 29:11-14 emphasis mine)
You will seek ME
You will find ME
says the LORD
Seek, find: with all your HEART.
Let's get bold here, friends! As I look at a house that has not one buyer toward a move where I'm not sure where we will lay our head, Jesus tells me to SEEK HIM for prosper and plans. What if my notion of prospering and future and plans were wrapped up ONLY in who the Bible says God is? A life entangled by the grace of our Lord. It's a grace that tells us to go on with our day, not fretting or head spinning –– ever CONSUMED with seeking after GOD Himself. GOD. HIMSELF.
Prosper: A life rich with knowledge of the Gospel. LIVING OUT! the Gospel. Loving God first, loving others. Living bold faith coupled with servant love. Doing relationships out of a love for Jesus first.
Laying up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6) rather than clinging to an ideal of that which distracts us from a fulfilled, ever close relationship with the King of Kings. Those earthly treasures fade shortly after the tags are ripped off and we wear once.
Future: That to look forward to while we do life differently to make Jesus famous right here and right now. Living heaven minded while we serve and love others right where we are. A wild paradox of future verses our life's purpose at this MOMENT. Entangled with loving and serving God here on earth and enthralled with the notion of the face to face one day when He returns.
Hope: Completely wrapped in the Gospel. Jesus, {God HIMSELF} lived the sinless life, died to pay the price for our sin, raised to LIFE--victorious over death. We have access to SEEK GOD with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). That is our hope daily whether we've known Jesus as Lord for 50 years or 5 minutes. Oh that we won't take the Gospel for granted.
Prosper, Future, Hope: Tied up in the very PERSON of Jesus.
Seek
Find
Seek with a heart desperate for things, plans, future more than a house, money, shopping spree, shiny car, dream job, Pinterest perfect family...seek with a heart flat out desperate for Jesus Himself.
That is how I move forward with the chaotic calendar for the month of May and however long God has us in this transition. Seek. God. HIMSELF.
Whew! What do you think?
Leave a comment...let's chat!
**This post first appeared on LIVE IT OUT! blog**
Photo credit: ©Pexels/Ketet Subiyanto
