I don’t know the Bible. At least, not the way that I want to. My knowledge is probably more than the average person, but less than other people like me who have spent so much of their lives in church and consider their faith to be pretty much the most important part of existence. But here I am, kinda dumb when it comes to the exact characters and Bible story details. You would think I would take action to change this particular thing about myself that I dislike so much, but change is hard, we all know that. It’s just like wanting to change your physical body, wanting to save more money, etc. It takes dedicated time and focus, time and focus that you have already allotted toward something that is probably more enjoyable, or at the very least, easier. That’s where I am with the Bible. I want to “have studied the Bible”…but I struggle with wanting “to go study the Bible.”
But sometimes God insists. The very fact that I can even state with honesty that I don’t feel like studying the Bible is counter-intuitive to my desires in the first place. I believe that the Bible contains all the answers to life, the way we should approach just about every situation, and is worth reading and memorizing in short snippets, even if you never commit to reading it from start to finish. But I still rarely do. Until this month—when God started throwing Jeremiah 29 in my face.
I had the car radio turned to a Christian radio station. The songs comfort and uplift me. Most are about the saving power of God, how we are loved, how God has great things planned for us, and how radical change and unexpected moments are entirely possible. That part is my favorite. On this day, a caller told a story of God moving in her life, and the deejay said that the story reminded her of Jeremiah 29, to which the second deejay replied “Ooh, that’s my favorite.” But they didn’t elaborate.
A few days later, I was listening to a Steve Harvey YouTube video, where he talked about his past and the role God played in radically changing his life and basically giving him everything he asked for…which concluded with him referencing Jeremiah 29: “I have good things planned for you.
And then a day after that, I found a receipt in my car from CVS, where I had scribbled “Jeremiah 29” at the top of it. Can’t remember what made me do that in the first place, but OK Lord, I will read it.
“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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:11-13
Perhaps God was thinking that throwing this very well known, and encouraging (in ways), Bible verse in front of me was a good way to draw me into the good book—it’s probably worked for others. And He was right. I want more.
As I said, I’m a Bible dunce, but I am a close reader, and a few things struck me about this verse. He has a plan for me, and it is for my good. However, there may be a long waiting period before his goodness will be revealed. So in the meantime, I should reap the most good and the greatest results from my current situation as I can. I should accept the present, prosper in it, and have patience.
Progress in life is all we can really ask for from day to day. Taking one step at a time closer to our goals, our desires, our final destination.
And what comfort, what grace to be given the certainty that we are in fact on the path to something wonderful, something that is just for us. Even in a time of struggle, we can rest in His promise of “hope and a future.” God is good, and He is for us.
