I started stressing again, just for a moment, and the Lord gave me the visual, I needed… it’s a pink bag which has Jeremiah 29:11 scripture.

The bag was folded in half, but God knows how to unfold the truth, so I enrolled the bag, and the truth is, HE STILL SAYS: DON’T WORRY, I have a PLAN. Jeremiah 29:11 yes!

Jeremiah is writing to encourage exiles – telling them to keep going and live prosperous lives even in this exiled location…. and we are also exiles whom God has promised to bring back – after a prescribed time of exile (earth) – live well – prosper… life liberty and the pursuit of happiness in this patriotic summer season…

In those days, God employed empowered extolled exiled prophets to encourage all. Today we need to be the encouragers to others.

But the people must have been concerned in Jeremiah’s day, and we too get very concerned (frightened even) even though we know God is trustworthy. And we are to work at a plan, go with a plan, trust a plan, hope in a plan. 

Recently, with Fourth of July excitement, we went to a local farm for fireworks. We went late because it was a hundred degrees, and the people were certainly having fun. And it was interesting because it did cost to go, which kept crowds manageable, and because it seemed like a family picnic, as opposed to a big municipal firework show. Someone bought me the ticket so I didn’t mind the price. And then the clouds started to popcorn up, the radars showed the worst weather north and quickly passing east. By the radar, we’re very fortunate and not in the bullseye of the storm. But oh we saw it!

Families with small children were smart, and they got their kids in the cars. My adult kids and I could have actual adult conversation about the situation and the weather and our response. The wind though kicked up, and as I helped the local brewery, grab their tent and collapse it, somebody in line was so oblivious audacious to say: “are you still serving?” as it was not registering with him the fierce weather activity at hand… oblivious… and we too tend to be oblivious to HUGE workings of monumental ground shifts and weather fronts, if it not immediately in front of us or under OUR feet. This is also true, and why we need FAITH when things are not going well, because God’s got SO MUCH going on behind the scenes, unseen and seen. We must have faith. We must keep going…

After the tent and things settling down, we stuck it out and waited, most did but in their cars. But then the most amazing ball lightning arose. So spectacular dancing across the sky!!! And it was in the distance and yet close enough that I thought we should wait in the car too. We did. We watched. And then rolled back out for the fireworks, which were spectacular – oh amazing and close, (and well worth the price!) The intensity of the BIG boomers shook you and we loved it.

The ball lightning while we waited it out was serious strength in the sky. And it was like the fevered pitch of the weather just had to let go. (Whew not directly over us.) And can you imagine how we emotionally and mentally also often have to VENT, because our energy angst frustration just takes over. GOT TO BLOW STEAM. And weather and whether we are in that fury or not, we often it. 

Now let us not just imagine, but believe how much MORE POWERFUL God is. So powerful and yet so gracious too. We celebrate with explosives! And we explode with celebration! God rules with Power and God Powers His rule! And He is both the spark and the sparkles.

So next time, we are in a fearful situation, whether real or our minds have carried us away,  let us cling even MORE to the powerful God we have WHO KNOWS ALL! Keep a close watch on the weather for safety, don’t tempt faith, fate, fireworks or fronts of storms. But DO trust that God will pull us through. Unfold the truth: 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.”

Keep your cool and keep hope.

Remember God does have a plan!

Amen 

A Letter to the Exiles
29 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

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.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”