His Plans

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

In a couple of weeks it will be the 8th anniversary of my husband’s passing into Glory and I still miss him like it was yesterday. It has been quite a journey, but I can truly testify that the Lord has been with me every step of the way. Most of the stages of grief have passed, I no longer ask “Why?” or “Only if…” there is no anger or frustration. I no longer walk around in a daze as if I’ve somehow lost my way. The real, physical feeling of having a missing limb or body part has somehow left me. Though I still cry, the raw pain and gaping wound of loss is gone and what remains is indeed a scar, but a scar of the testament of the keeping Grace of God. Just like with a physical wound when it has been healed to leave a scar, you can look at it and remember the pain, but it is only a memory.

I don’t know if there is any truth in the saying that “Time heals all wounds”, but I DO know that God can heal ALL wounds. He has proven Himself to me over and over again; and if for some reason He decides to never prove Himself to me again; I know, that I know He is a Faithful God, I know that He is closer than any brother; I know that He is the comforter and that He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you.

In the 29th chapter of Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah is writing a letter to the remaining captives of Babylon. He is encouraging them to “hang in there”. Even though they were kidnapped from their homeland (Jerusalem) and forced to live in a pagan country, Jeremiah encourages them to continue living, to marry, have children, to make homes. He tells them to “keep peace” within their households and in doing so, peace would come to that land. And that even though God had caused their captivity…YES that is what the Word says, GOD caused them to be in captivity; he goes on to give this word in the 11th verse; promising them that God has not forgotten them, that He has plans for them, to give them a hope and a future.
I imagine that it was probably hard for them to believe that God had a plan for them after all they had been through. The same goes for us as we go through trials; we wonder “Lord, are you going to work this out and when?”

Through the trial of losing my spouse right after the loss of other close relatives, there were times in my grief that I wondered and even asked my Father “Do you still have a plan for me?” And He always gave me the assurance that as I trusted Him one moment at a time that in His time, He will reveal my purpose. And in the mean time that I should “keep peace” within my spirit and soul, for in doing so I would bring peace to those that come around me and to just keep breathing…keep LIVING. Living in His Word, His Joy, And His Love!

Can I encourage you today? If you are going through a trial or maybe you are at a season in your life where you are wondering “does God have a specific purpose for me, has he forgotten me in this trial?” Let me assure you that He does and He has not forgotten you. Just keep living in Him; and in His time He will reveal it because He has great plans for you!