To God be The glory, Amen

In getting studious, I realized a 🔑 fact! This waa said to the family of God in exile!

Jeremiah 29:11 was written around 597–590 B.C., shortly after the first wave of Babylonian captivity, when many Israelites were deported to Babylon. It was part of a letter sent by the prophet Jeremiah from Jerusalem to the exiles, reassuring them of a future hope after a 70-year exile.

• Context: It was written to Jewish exiles living in Babylon, who were discouraged and, according to this Wikipedia page and this GotQuestions article, in a time of despair.
• Purpose: The message challenged false prophets who promised a quick return and encouraged the exiles to settle down in Babylon, as they would be there for 70 years.
• Key Timing: It was sent after king Jeconiah and the skilled workers were taken to Babylon in 597 B.C., but before the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C..

God’s view of prosperity always challenges our own

Jodi Hasbrouck

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

I’ve heard this verse many times. It usually gets pulled out when people are going through hard times.

I wonder if other people view this verse like I used to. When hard times came, a part of me held on to this verse like a lifeline to keep me afloat.

The other part of me thought this verse was utterly ridiculous.

QUESTIONABLE TRIALS

I think about my friend who trained for the Olympics for years. She put a strong effort in the finals of her race for the 2012 Olympic Trials, a race she had been training for and looking toward all season.

Yet she missed the top three and was unable to represent the USA at the London Olympics.

How was that supposed to prosper and not harm her?

I think about the worst night of my life. In 2011, I was an assistant track coach at Central State University and we were on our spring break trip in Florida.

Our last night there, one of our athletes went missing. All through the night, rescue squads searched for her. The following morning, we learned she had drowned at the complex where we were staying.

How was that supposed to give hope and a future?

Situations like this made it clear my definition of “prosper” and “not harming” were different than God’s.

“Yet pain outside our sport is unacceptable. We can’t believe this pain will somehow benefit us.”

A COMMON MISUNDERSTANDING

After my athlete died, I experienced a slew of emotions. I was angry at God for allowing it to happen. I felt guilty because I didn’t notice she was gone. I became impatient with my athletes and “Why?” was a question that constantly plagued my thoughts.

As athletes, we expect pain in our sports. We willingly put strain on our muscles because we know the pain will pay off. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said, “Pain is just weakness leaving the body.”

Yet pain outside our sport is unacceptable. We can’t believe this pain will somehow benefit us.

Ironically, Jeremiah wrote these words to God’s people who were in exile. Not only were they exiled, but it was God who sent them there.

It is often believed that as a Christian, our life will be all rainbows and butterflies. But when we turn to the Bible, we see that is not the case for any follower of Christ. It was not even the case for Christ Himself while He was on earth.

James makes it clear in his book that we will face trials (James 1:2) and Peter tells us not to be surprised by the trials that come our way (1 Peter 4:12). Although they faced many trials, these disciples of Jesus had the bigger picture in mind.

Sometimes trials are of our own doing; sometimes they’re the work of Satan; sometimes they’re just an effect of living in a broken world. Regardless of the source, they’re always an opportunity to know God better.

SO WHAT DOES PROSPERITY MEAN TO GOD?

True Biblical prosperity comes when we are in a relationship with God, when we are walking with Him and getting to know Him better.

If we look at the Bible as a whole, not just pieces here and there, we see God constantly calling His people into a relationship with Himself. Instead of shielding them from hard times, He draws closer to them in the midst of trials.

Time and time again, we see Christians then and now enduring hardships joyfully. It’s not because they enjoy pain, but because they believe everything is going to be okay. They may not know when or how, but they trust God and have a peace knowing He sees beyond the pain.

We hope and long for what we consider “good” things, but God has a hope and a future full of great things. Our finite minds cannot fathom the things God has in store for us in heaven.

SEEING THE DETAILS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

What if we imagined our lives as a puzzle?

As we go through our lives, God gives us pieces of our puzzle. Sometimes He gives us a piece that fits nicely with the other ones we have. But sometimes He gives us a dark piece that doesn’t seem to fit with the others.

We try to make sense of it, but the fact of the matter is we can’t see the full picture of our lives. We don’t hold the puzzle box. God does.

The Bible gives us a snapshot of the unfolding plan of God and our lives are small pieces of a much larger puzzle. As we understand that, we realize we have a loving God who has a long term plan to prosper us and not harm us. He is our hope and our future.

So when we’re given a piece that doesn’t make sense, we trust God that this piece wasn’t given to us by mistake—it was given to us because it is necessary for the bigger picture.

LEARNING FROM TRIALS

My friend experienced a new piece of God’s character – His protection.

It turned out she had a partially torn Achilles tendon and had she continued to race, she would have torn it completely and she would not be able to run any more. She would not be preparing for the 2016 Olympic Trials.

Her relationship with God is stronger today than it was four years ago.

I experienced a different slice of God’s character. I saw His compassion through His people as they stepped up to care for me and my other athletes.

In experiencing that compassion, I was able to extend it to the other athletes as I listened to their pain. This opened the doors to many spiritual conversations.

My relationship with God grew stronger.

I don’t know if that was one of God’s intended outcomes of her death. I know some of her family and friends have unanswered questions and have struggled with the reality of her death.

Over the years I’ve tried to stop asking God, “Why?” Instead, I strive to ask questions like, “What are you trying to teach me?” or “How can I use this to bring you glory?”

I may not have all the answers, but I serve a God who does. As I anticipate the trials yet to come, I will remember the words I once heard, “When faced with the unknowns, I look to a God who is known.”

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Diction in the Bible: “Seasons”

Seasons in the Bible refer to both the agricultural cycle (seedtime/harvest, cold/heat, summer/winter) and the symbolic, sovereignly appointed times in life, such as in Ecclesiastes 3. God is identified as the creator and controller of these times, using them for growth, testing, and purpose.

Key Biblical Perspectives on Seasons:

• Fixed by God: Seasons are established by divine authority, not chance. Daniel 2:21 states God changes times and seasons, sets up kings, and deposes them.
• Agricultural Cycle: Genesis 8:22 mentions “seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter” as constants while the earth remains.
• Purpose of Seasons: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 emphasizes that there is a proper time for everything under heaven (a time to plant, reap, weep, laugh, etc.), indicating that every phase has a purpose.
• Metaphorical Seasons of Life:
  • Winter/Stretching: A time for preparation, inner heart-healing, and waiting (Proverbs 24, “plowing” in winter).
  • Spring/Planting: A time for new beginnings and spiritual growth.
  • Summer/Growth: A time of maturity and fruitfulness.
  • Harvest/Reaping: A time of reaping benefits and experiencing the manifestation of God’s work (Galatians 6:9).

Biblical Encouragement in Seasons:

• Endurance: Believers are encouraged not to grow weary in doing good, promising a “due season” to reap if they do not give up (Galatians 6:9).
• Trust: Because God manages times, individuals can trust Him during difficult or “dry” seasons.
• Adaptability: The Bible suggests recognizing the current season to respond appropriately, such as gathering in summer.

Going to church is an act of attendance and fellowship, while serving God is a lifestyle of obedience and Love for others. Attending services can help strengthen faith, but true service focuses on acting like Jesus, fulfilling His commands, and assisting those in need, both inside and outside the church building.

Key Differences Between Attending and Serving

• Going to Church: Often seen as an act, event, or duty, such as attending services on Sundays. While beneficial for connection, it does not automatically equal service if the heart is not involved.
• Serving God: A lifestyle flowing from a transformed life and grace. It is not just about volunteering at church, but obeying God’s commands and showing love to others.

Different Aspects of Service

• Inward Service: Working within the church, such as teaching, volunteering, or committee work.
• Outward Service: Helping the community, caring for the needy, and reflecting Jesus’ love in daily life. [1, 2]

Misconceptions

• Serving God does not require acting in a church building; rather, it is about having a heart for God and obedience to His teachings.
• Sitting in a church does not make one a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes one a car.
• True service is not about personal gain, comfort, or recognition, but for God’s glory.

While attending church helps keep faith alive and fosters community, service is the outward expression of a genuine relationship with God.

THE TIMELESS MIRROR.

📍Going to CHURCH is great but the motives and attitude determine the end!

These bible verses mandated that we check and filter our daily choices to determine where each will land us at the end of our sojourn here on Earth. The more popular, sophisticated or ‘trending’ an idea is, the more spiritually perilous and ‘polluted’ it is! For the majority are after convenience and self-image, not minding the cost! What is/are your true motives?

A Spark: Our opinion about GOD determines how we worship Him – pause and think!

Worship in Spirit (Heartfelt Engagement)

• Heartfelt Engagement: Worship must come from the inner person, motivated by love and gratitude, not merely outward form.
• Personal Relationship: It involves a heartfelt, living connection with God, acknowledging Him with our spirits.
• Dynamic and Personal: It is not restricted to formal ceremonies or specific locations, as God is omnipresent.

Worship in Truth (Biblical Reality)

• Biblical Foundation: True worship is informed by Scripture and correctly reflects who God is.
• The Person of Jesus: As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” true worship is focused on Him.
• Authentic Lifestyle: It aligns our thoughts, actions, and lives with God’s Word.

Key Aspects of True Worship

• The Father Seeks It: Jesus emphasizes that God seeks “true worshipers” who align their adoration with his nature.
• Internal over External: It is a personal, intimate encounter that prioritizes a loyal heart over mere ritual.
• God is Spirit: Because God is not physical, true worship is spiritual, not restricted to a physical temple.

This concept reflects a shift to a more profound, personal spiritual engagement rather than the formal, location-dependent worship of the old Covenant.

The message? Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; He Loves and cares, but also disciplines to enhance purity; we must belong to Him first, and prioritize Him! Not the church… Eternity is certain, let’s tap into God’s grace to abide in Him till the desired end!

May God uphold us.🙏🔥

God is perfect. He does not sin. He is the opposite of sin. Jesus is God, but was sent to Earth as a Man to know sin. By knowing sin, He can better understand and communicate the message of God to humanity. Do not be confused about this passage: Christ is not a sinner. He is contrary to sin itself, a sacrifice to erase all sin (the sinless sacrifice). He is a sacrificial offering FOR sin; sent to Earth by God, His Father so that our sins could be forgiven. Thanks be to God; Hallelujah Jesus!!!

And we pray:

Perfect and almighty Lord, my Strength and Guardian, I am a sinner. Forgive me Father for I have sinned, and knowing that; You sent Your only Son to Earth to die for my sins makes this admission more shameful. O Lord, please hear my prayer! I beg that You give me a chance to improve and pledge my faith to You, so that I may spread Your glory to others. There is only one path for me Abba Father, and that path leads to Heaven, so that I may rejoice with You and Christ. I pray this in the Name of Christ, Amen.

God often answers prayers with “No” or “not yet,” providing something better than we may have requested because He sees the bigger picture and understands our true needs over our temporary desires.

While we may ask for comfort or specific solutions, God prioritizes our spiritual growth, character development, and His ultimate purpose.

Key Aspects of Better Answers:

– Protection over Position: A “no” to a request is often protection from something detrimental or preparation for something better, allowing trust in His goodness.

– Refinement over Removal: Sometimes prayers are not answered as expected because God is using trials to refine character and strengthen faith, rather than removing the challenge immediately.

– Higher Perspective: As stated in Isaiah 55:8, God’s ways are higher than our own; His wisdom knows which path truly brings peace and fulfills his plan to prosper us.

– The Spirit Intercedes: When we do not know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s will (Romans 8:26-28), which is inherently better than our limited desires.

Ultimately, this perspective encourages trusting that God’s silence or refusal is a form of love, ensuring we receive what is best for our eternal well-being.

THE TIMELESS MIRROR.

📍Prayer expectation and the answers we recieve do not always tally!

The Isrealites desperately needed the shortest cross-over from Egypt to Canaan, the promised land; the land that flowed with milk and honey! But God answered them with travail and trials in the wilderness to build them.

The Story of Fear and Refusal (Numbers 13-14)

• 40 Years Earlier: When Moses first sent twelve spies into Canaan, ten brought back a frightening report of “giants,” causing the Israelites to panic and refuse to enter the land out of fear.
• The Consequence: Because of this fear and lack of faith, God decreed that generation would wander in the wilderness for 40 years. [1, 2, 3]

The Story of Jericho (Joshua 2-6)

• A New Generation: Forty years later, a new generation led by Joshua prepared to enter the land. Joshua sent two spies to scout Jericho, and they were hidden by a woman named Rahab.
• Fear Reversed: Instead of the Israelites being afraid, the spies learned that the people of Jericho were terrified and their courage had failed due to the Israelites’ reputation.
• No Refusal: The Israelites did not refuse to march. They followed divine instructions to march around the city for seven days, after which the walls collapsed.

Therefore, the Israelites did not refuse to march on Jericho; rather, they trusted God to take the city, while the inhabitants of Jericho were the ones paralyzed by fear.

The long years of childlessness wasn’t Zacharia and Elizabeth’s expectation but that was what they had to deal with anyway!

Zechariah and Elizabeth were a godly, elderly couple from priestly lines who remained childless, a source of shame in their time. While Zechariah served in the Temple, the angel Gabriel announced they would have a son named John, destined to be the forerunner of the Messiah. Due to his doubt, Zechariah was struck mute until John’s birth.

Key Aspects of Their Story (Luke 1)

• Righteous Couple: Zechariah (a priest) and Elizabeth (descendant of Aaron) were considered righteous and blameless in their devotion to God, yet remained barren into old age.
• The Annunciation: While burning incense in the Temple, Gabriel told Zechariah, “your prayer has been heard,” despite their advanced age.
• Doubt and Silence: Zechariah asked for a sign, questioning the promise, which led to him being unable to speak until the child was born.
• Miraculous Pregnancy: Elizabeth conceived and went into seclusion for five months, praising God for taking away her reproach.
• The Birth of John the Baptist: When the child was born, neighbors expected him to be named after his father. Elizabeth insisted on “John,” and Zechariah confirmed this in writing, immediately regaining his speech and praising God.
• Connection to Mary: Elizabeth was a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. In a notable encounter, Elizabeth’s unborn baby leaped in her womb when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited her.

The story highlights God’s faithfulness in the face of impossible circumstances and the importance of trusting God’s timing. [1]

A Nugget: The means to an end count more than the end!

God gives the best, but in view of what we must learn, unlearn and relearn till we are matured in Christ must pray with submission. Only those who do not want to grow in Christ resist these!

The truth? Our becoming  one with the overall effect and values of our prayers here and eternally matters most to God than the temporary relief we often seek, the answer to such may not be what we expect… So let’s align with God for the best results!

It is s well.🙏🔥

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭29‬-‭31‬, ‭35‬-‭39‬
““Immediately after the distress of those days “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

“Success” is my identity, Amen.

In prayer, focusing on Jesus, it becomes good success!

The foundational “good success” scripture is Joshua 1:8, which emphasizes that success comes from meditating on God’s word day and night and acting on it. This verse promises that following this path leads to prosperity and, specifically, “good success” (or navigating life wisely).

Key “Good Success” Scriptures

• Joshua 1:8 (NKJV): “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success”.
• Joshua 1:9 (NKJV): “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”.
• Psalm 1:1–3 (NIV): Describes the person who meditates on the law as a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit, and that “whatever they do prospers”.
• Proverbs 3:3–4 (ESV): Links success to steadfast love and faithfulness: “…write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man”.
• 1 Kings 2:3 (KJV): Encourages walking in God’s ways to “…prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself”.

Principles for “Good Success”

• Meditate and Act: It is not enough to just read scripture; one must apply it (be a doer).
• Faithfulness is Success: True success is defined as being a “good and faithful servant,” not just worldly wealth.
• Confidence in God: Success is accompanied by courage because God is with you.
• Integrity and Wisdom: Good success comes from honest dealings and following God’s commands, which brings favor with God and people.