“’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’” -Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)
This verse is from a letter written by the prophet Jeremiah, who was sending a message from God to Jerusalem. The words from God, spoken through Jeremiah, still ring true to this day.
The words “welfare” and “calamity” are keys to me, because they are so precisely used in this context. Welfare essentially means to have good fortune, to be well off. And then calamity is another way of saying to experience troubling times, to have it not-so-good. And God has promised us welfare.
The verse is pretty self-explanatory when you think about it, but if you look into it, it reads a promise so great that it makes me wonder how a follower of God can doubt His power. This verse is saying in the most straightforward manner possible that God desires great things for us. For those who believe in Him, and even those who don’t, His plan for them to live fulfilling lives will be, well, fulfilled.
I mention the possibility of nonbelievers having a part in God’s plan for prosperity because I believe He uses nonbelievers to shape us, as well as our Christian influences. What we learn from the perspective of one not following Christ can be just as important as the view from inside the “Christian bubble”, but that’s a thought for another day.
The thing that strikes me as amazing here is the direct promise from God that He cares for us and wants nothing but the best for us. And what’s even more amazing to me is that all He asks of His followers is to love Him and live our lives for Him. That’s a small debt for us, if you ask me. This verse just fills me with so much hope.
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