I was reading in Jeremiah yesterday, and I have read over this set of verses so many times and it hasn't really caught my attention like it did this time. The verses read like this:
"Today, I appoint you to STAND UP against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down and others you must build up and plant. Then the Lord said to me "Look Jeremiah! What do you see?" And I said "I see a branch from an almond tree." And the Lord said "That's right, and it means that I am watching and I will CERTAINLY carry out all my plans." 1:10-12 [NLT]
That last part of the final verse in the New King James reads "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform my Word."
In the NIV it reads "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my Word is fulfilled.
What an amazing promise. To know that the God who created all of the heavens and the earth and makes life possible is carrying out His will for our lives. To know that in His will are plans to give us confident hope to see the best of ourselves in a future that we certainly don't deserve. To know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that our God will fulfill every promise, and here's the catch: there is no catch. We don't have to be perfect or always know what to say or always do the right things, and get this, we don't even need to put our two cents in to God [even though we sometimes feel entitled]...He'll do it again, and again, and again, and again, just like before. Because: He. Is. Faithful.
The God that I serve and that you serve has given us purpose. He's placed you where you are in this time with purpose and on purpose because [let me repeat myself], He is faithful! Whether you're seemingly stuck in a place that you never thought you'd be in or you're prospering in a place that you definitely don't deserve to be in, the Lord has put you there with regard. He took the time to place you in this season because he's building you to be the most effective person for the Kingdom that you can be, you absolutely have time to honor Him for that. I have time to honor Him. To praise him for his faithfulness, because above all else, in and out of every season and circumstance, I should always be able to lift my hands as a testament to the fact that God is good.
A mighty voice doesn't have to resound from Heaven for you to know that He loves you. I once heard this: "He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He's God and that's just what He does." God didn't have a reason to send His only son to live a ridiculed life and to die an inhumane death just for us, other than because He loves us.
I count it a joy to serve. I count it a joy to be in seasons of maturity, and seasons of refinement, and seasons of happiness, and seasons of growth. I count it an honor to be a follower of Christ. I count it an undeserved privelege to be so loved and adored by the One who created it all. I'll be the first to stand up and publicly proclaim that I don't have it all together, I sometimes say and do things that I wish I hadn't, but I am loved. You are loved. Unconditionally.
Quick life update: Living year 23 to the best of my ability. Blessed with the best job in the world. Surrounded by the most amazing family & friends. Plugged into an incredible church and under the headship of the most caring Pastors and leadership in this region. So blessed. So undeserving. So grateful.
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