What is God up to?
Where is God and what is He up to? Do you find yourself asking that question? I know I have. It seems that we’re living in a topsy-turvy, upside-down, twisted-around world. It’s enough to shake our faith and, for some, to give up on belief in God altogether.
With all that’s going on in our world and lives, we often live in an in between
place.
In between success and failure.
In between good times and hard times.
In between faith and fear.
In between belief and disbelief.
In between trust and control.
In between a promise given and a promise fulfilled.
Through it all we can hold onto the promise of God in 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 hope and a future.”
This scripture is true and a great one to hold onto in life. Though just looking at that verse alone can lead us to think that all will be well in life if we live seeking God. No financial issues, sickness, disease, or struggles, and only prosperity and blessing. Unfortunately, that has been much of Western Christian teaching. That mindset has shipwrecked a lot of people’s faith because financial issues, sickness, disease, struggles, & hardship happens to us all.
Jeremiah 29:11 is a favorite Scripture to be quoted, but it is sandwiched in between some important facts.
Jeremiah 29:10-14 says:
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. 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 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.”
Israel was facing 70 years of captivity when the promise of God having a hope and a future for them was stated. They faced 70 years of captivity because they were supposed to give their land a year of rest every 7 years as Leviticus 25:3-6 states. They hadn’t done that for 490 years, which equaled 70 missed sabbath years. The 70 years of captivity was to make amends for the 70 years of rest the land did not get.
When the land rested every 7th year, we see in Leviticus 25:20-22 that God promised to provide an abundant crop in the 6th year to carry them through until the next harvest that they could plant.
Several things we can see through this scripture:
God’s promises hold true even when we see the opposite happening.
The Israelites were facing captivity when they received the promise of God’s hope and a future for them. No matter what you’re experiencing in life that is difficult, know that God loves you and has His best in mind for you. His promises are eternal not just for this world. He has a hope and a future for you.
God wants us to trust in Him and not in just our own thoughts and abilities.
The Israelites kept on planting when they should have trusted. God doesn’t just care for us spiritually, but in every way, including practical.
God is serious about rest.
The Israelites skipped the rest for the land and God had them make up for it. Are we serious about rest? If you’re not resting well, take a breath today and schedule a time of rest on your calendar.
God is serious about obedience.
The Israelites didn’t obey the sabbath for the land and it led to their captivity for 70 years. Is there an area in our lives that we’re not obeying God and setting up some consequences in our life?
God wants us to have hope for our future when what we’re facing is hard.
The Israelites were not written off by God and were given a hope and future even as they walked through their consequences. God doesn’t write us off even when we bring things on ourselves. Remember, He loves us even through the consequences.
God promises that we will find Him when we seek Him with all of our hearts.
What the Israelites faced was to cause them to go to God, call on Him, to pray to Him, and to find Him. The yearning of God’s heart is for us to find Him and be in relationship with Him.
No matter what you’re facing as we live in our topsy-turvy world, know that what God is up to is for YOU, He has a hope and a future for YOU, and He wants a relationship with YOU. As you live in between His promise and the fulfillment of His promise for your life, know that God has the long game in mind and His faithfulness goes beyond this life and into eternity.
Hold onto hope for your future cause it is bright! Have a blessed weekend.
Dean
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