Jeremiah 29:11 has literally changed the way I look at life. In short, we learn about the sovereignty of God in that verse, and come to realize that every single aspect of every minute of every hour of every day is administrated and orchestrated by Him..
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
We realize that we have committed our endless eternal future to Him, having settled the issue of His offer of salvation through personal faith in the shed blood of Christ. And yet, our day – to – day struggles seem to originate in what appear to be the “unknowns” of this life.
How can we bring our thoughts into captivity to the Truth of Jeremiah 29:11 this very day, in the midst of the very difficulties we are faced with currently? What needs to change in our thinking?
First, let’s start with thinking through His heart toward us. We know from Philippians 2 that He temporarily laid aside His glory to take on the likeness of man. He demonstrated humility, sacrifice and service on our behalf. His thoughts and plans for us are never to do us harm or hurt. Each and every action, from His divine perspective, is designed to bring us to the fulfillment of His clear promise in Romans 8:28-29. It is another affirmation, to the believer, that He is working all things together toward the good end of our being conformed to Christlikeness.
That being the goal, can we not see that the very things which trouble us, are simply opportunities to draw on His all-sufficient grace, and in so doing, become progressively more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ? So – the next time I’m tempted to complain, worry, or fear – I must remember that God is graciously working to draw me closer and closer to Himself, and in the drawing, see me become more like Christ. Then, when others see Christ, according to Psalm 40:1-3, they will trust Him, too.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
We realize that we have committed our endless eternal future to Him, having settled the issue of His offer of salvation through personal faith in the shed blood of Christ. And yet, our day – to – day struggles seem to originate in what appear to be the “unknowns” of this life.
How can we bring our thoughts into captivity to the Truth of Jeremiah 29:11 this very day, in the midst of the very difficulties we are faced with currently? What needs to change in our thinking?
First, let’s start with thinking through His heart toward us. We know from Philippians 2 that He temporarily laid aside His glory to take on the likeness of man. He demonstrated humility, sacrifice and service on our behalf. His thoughts and plans for us are never to do us harm or hurt. Each and every action, from His divine perspective, is designed to bring us to the fulfillment of His clear promise in Romans 8:28-29. It is another affirmation, to the believer, that He is working all things together toward the good end of our being conformed to Christlikeness.
That being the goal, can we not see that the very things which trouble us, are simply opportunities to draw on His all-sufficient grace, and in so doing, become progressively more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ? So – the next time I’m tempted to complain, worry, or fear – I must remember that God is graciously working to draw me closer and closer to Himself, and in the drawing, see me become more like Christ. Then, when others see Christ, according to Psalm 40:1-3, they will trust Him, too.
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