“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce." Jeremiah 29:5
There have been times in my Christian walk when words from the Bible have had an immediate impact on my life. At that very moment God spoke to me directly from scripture in such a profound way that it transcended even the circumstance in my life. I want to share with you one exceptional experience I had that I believe may have an impact on your life, as well.
In 2007 God called the love of my life to his eternal home. It was sudden, and after the memorial service when life returned to normal for everyone else, I felt adrift. Praise God I turned to Him for not only comfort, but for direction too. Jeremiah 29:11 was a Bible verse I had repeated often to myself through the years; probably the closest thing I had to a "life verse": "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." Whenever life threw me a curve ball, this one verse gave me confidence that my future was secure in Him. He had a plan, and He promised to fulfill it. One morning in my widowhood, I opened my Bible to that verse for comfort when my eyes settled on the verses that preceded the eleventh verse:
"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
What?! God had allowed Israel to be carried into exile and His instruction to them through the prophet Jeremiah was to carry on? Keep living life. Build a home, raise a family, grow food and feed yourselves, marry off your kids and enjoy your grandkids, and seek the welfare of the community where you live, pray for it! I was astounded! How had I missed that all the years prior? I had only focused on what God promised to do, and had not given a thought about my role in waiting on the fulfillment of His promise. The irony is that it was really quite simple. Just keep living life. Do whatever is in front of me that day and do it faithfully, knowing that God is working all things together for good.
I can't begin to tell you the freedom I felt when I closed my Bible that morning. I was in a strange place for sure, but it was okay. I had a family to love, I had a home to care for, I had work to do in a community I cared about. My life had meaning, and God had a plan for my life. I was going to be fine. Just carry on!
Today's music video The Plans I Have for You (Jeremiah 29:11) by Marty Goetz and Misha Goetz was recorded live in Jerusalem.
I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.
