Newton Citizen

"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)

Personally, I think we all need to hold onto this verse like never before. With all the uncertainty surrounding all us, we need to find comfort in the verse.

Truth be told, I think we tend to take this verse for granted. Maybe that's because it is usually one of the first verses we learn as a new Christian, like John 3:16 -- one of the most well known verses in the world that more experienced Christians sometimes tend to recite out of habit, not out of excitement.

There is something else about the above verse that we tend to lose in reading it. The very first words the Lord declares are, "For I know the plans I have for you." We should take heed when reading verse that is declared by the Lord.

Someone once asked me why it is that God doesn't reveal to us everything that He has in store for our lives. My response "Because we are humans."

Think about a time in your life when you needed a breakthrough in your life. Maybe it was a job, money for bills, healing for yourself or loved one, a broken marriage. If at that moment God had revealed every tiny detail, you probably wouldn't have believed Him.

Our human minds can't comprehend all that He has in store for us, all that He works out in our lives. We have to remember that those plans are to "prosper us and not to harm us."

I believe the another reason that God doesn't reveal how everything will work out is because He wants -- desires -- for us to trust in Him. It is called having faith in Him.

Some of the best faith lessons in my life have come out of me completely and totally surrendering my situation and trust over to Him.

When you wake up every day and realize that you can't doing anything without Him, that you need Him to guide you and, most of all, you desire for Him to be Lord of your life, then living like you fully believe in Jeremiah 29:11 comes easy.

He plans for all of us to seek Him first in all we do. Trust that He has our lives under control and that He truly desires the best for His us.

So, here is my challenge to you this week -- turn it all over to Him and let His future for your life be your ultimate desire.

Julie Wells is the editorial assistant in the newsroom at the Rockdale Citizen. She can be reached at julie.wells@rockdalecitizen.com.