Today’s Bible readings can be found here: Jeremiah 29:1-16 and 1 John 5:13-21.
Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”
Last weekend, my eldest daughter got married to her sweetheart. It was a beautiful wedding and I was very proud of the newly wedded couple. I pray that they have a great future ahead of them and that God will bless them in many ways.
Marriage is a leap of faith, as well as a loving ceremony. The two people involved publicly promise to love, support, and cherish one another for the rest of their lives. It’s a beautiful part of life, but it’s also a unique covenant which can sometimes be hard to sustain and prolong.
Today’s verse from Jeremiah reminds us of the loving covenant that God has maintained with His people throughout the centuries. The words of reassurance were originally meant for the displaced Jews who had been defeated by the Assyrians and taken into exile. God’s promise through Jeremiah is a loving statement of His faithfulness toward His people. Whatever the future would bring in exile, they still seek God’s reassurance, comfort, and love. Things might be initially bleak, but God’s constant faithfulness to them would one day bring His people back to their precious homeland.
Today, you may be experiencing uncertainty or are perhaps anxious about the future. You might think that you are isolated and alone, vulnerable and weak. Please know this: God’s reassuring love and reaffirming presence are with you, even now. Seek Him and He may be found; look to Him for help, and He will give You His love.
Questions for personal reflection
What are my hopes for the future? How can God help me attain them?
Prayer: Gracious God, we thank You for Your loving presence with us each day. We look to You for guidance and we place our future into Your faithful hands. Be with us and bless us, in Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
Today’s image is one of John floral drawings called ‘Roses’. If you would like to view a larger image, please click this link: Roses.