Sunday Scripture II

Still holding true to posting every day for the month of June.

And Sunday is a scripture day. A day for posting a piece of scripture that has me thinking.

I was sitting in church on a Friday night (my usual night of attendance), and we read this verse.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

(Message Version)

I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 12"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13-14"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you.


(Amplified version)

I will visit you and keep My good promise to you, causing you to return to this place.For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord...

This verse gives me hope.

Even at a time when I don't know WHAT I'm going to do about a situation, or I'm at my wits end, well, I know that God has some type of plan for my life. Plans for my welfare and some peace of mind, a good future, and taking care of me.

If you've read through the Old Testament, especially those early parts, there is a very interesting trait of our human nature running rampant through the people:

Fickleness.

It rang true with me, for I am not ashamed to admit that I have a fickle streak. It bothers me terribly at times. One of my life goals is to be consistent (on the positive tip) in all areas of my life.

The people of the Old Testament were terribly fickle. Love God one minute, curse Him the next.

They thought God had abandoned them. Thought He had cast them off. Thought He was moving too slow. His way of doing things had to be wrong, because it didn't match up with their way of doing things.

As a result, they dealt with dark times, some serious "wilderness" experiences.

But that never changed God's thoughts about them. Sure, their thoughts and feelings changed, but not God's.

For me, and what I take from this particular verse, is that when I stop doing my own thing concerning my situations, get disentangled from my own selfish motives and agendas...

And actually believe that God loves me, wants what best for my future, and aint' just leaving me hanging out there...

That is, when I learn to trust in God, and not my own understanding of things...

THEN He can make some moves on my behalf. Bring me out of the desolate places, back where I need to be.

As long as I piddling around in my own agendas, you see... I'm not going to pray, I'm not going to seek, none of that. I've set myself up on the throne of my own life, and I will deal with the consequences of that decision.

Complicated, it may be. But it rang true with me.

So that's the Sunday Scripture for today...

You go and enjoy your Sunday... on purpose.

And of course, I leave you with a song. One of my favorites, Open up your heart by Yolanda Adams