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

The beautiful green hummingbird sipping sweet nectar out of my wife’s red, yellow, and purple flowers this evening was a brief moment of sheer delight.  When the tiny bird was done, it flew quickly away like Tinker Bell in Peter Pan.  I’m happy that I was sitting still and thinking so that I didn’t miss that flash of beauty.

Was that moment planned for me?  I don’t think so, but God’s design was definitely there.  The iridescent little hummingbird beat it’s wings seven times in the tenth of a second that it took me to blink my eye.  The moment was fleeting but like everything else in this wonderful world of ours it reveals the handiwork of God.  It reminds us that God has a good plan for our lives.  And I plan on living out that good plan.

Everything that God does is good.  Remember the Creation story?  Remember how God would look at his work and say it’s good!

Discouraged Israel in exile were in need of encouragement and God gave Jeremiah a message of hope for them.  God had not forgotten them.  They had made wicked decisions.  They were very religious, but they refused the faithfulness that faith called for.  They knew the Torah or what others said about it, but the Word of God had not penetrated their hearts and changed the way they lived.  They had as my Dad used to say, “made their beds and now they had to sleep in it.”

But God!  Isn’t that wonderful and comforting?  Those two words change everything for the better!

But God, sends them a promise, he has a good plan to prosper, protect, and give them hope and a future.

This week, we are going to look at how to apply this promise to our lives.  Even though it was made to Hebrew exiles, it is left for us as God’s Word today.  God has a good plan designed just for you in whatever phase of life you are in now.

Peace and Joy!