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August 22 God's Opinion of You"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." Jeremiah 29:11.
Isn't it wonderful that God thinks of you? These are not just passing thoughts, nor are they the result of daydreaming; He is conscious of His thoughts of you, and they thoughts of peace. Wow! This is a prime declaration of His love toward you. His thoughts are not evil toward you, and that should be reason enough for you to rejoice. But wait! There's more. He said His thoughts toward you is to give you an "expected end." Huh?
An expected end? What's that? Well, let's look at it a little bit. The Hebrew phrase that has been rendered, "expected end," could be literally translated, "end and expectation." First, the word "end" does not mean so much a "conclusion" in its antiquity as it does today...rather it refers to a sense of destiny. In short, it means He wants you to know where you are going. Not only does He want you to know where you are going, but I might also add that He wants to help you get there.
As for the expectation, I think it is self explanatory that it means "expectation." It is a matter of hope, or confidence, of eager anticipation, of (as any mother would know) "expectancy." There is something you're waiting for, confident it will soon be upon you, and you feel like you just can't wait another minute.
Now, if we add a little cohesion to these elements, we might say that God wants you to embark on an exciting adventure to a place He has prepared just for you. Do you have that sense of expectancy in you? Do you know where you are going? Are you confident you're on the right path? Is your life filled with adventure and excitement? It can be.
The text goes on to verse 12: "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you." The point of this statement is obvious...You pray, God listens. You know, that is just what a God who thinks peaceful thoughts of you would do: He would listen to your prayers. I like the fact that in this KJV text He says he will "hearken." That means that not only will He hear the sound of your voice; He also hears and understands your words and the intent behind them. You have His attention.
Verses 13 and 14 tell us, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord..." Imagine that! Have you ever played the children's game, "Hide and Seek"? The difference with God is, that He is not hiding. He is not hiding from you, or from anyone else. He is readily available, but He wants you to forbid anything from standing between you and Him. He wants you to seek Him, and when He knows you're sincere in your quest, He will reveal Himself to you.
More to follow. August 13 God's Opinion of YouI have not been able to escape Jeremiah 29:11 for several months. Every time I look at something else in the Word, I keep going back to this one. I will be entering a great deal on this passage as time permits. You are welcome to make entries as well, for I have been captivated by this verse. |
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