“This is what the Lord says: ‘You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT)
Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t fill us in on our whole life when we become an adult? The Lord prompted Jeremiah to write a letter to all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. The Jewish people in exile would have been happy to learn that they weren’t going to be in captivity forever, but likely bemoaned the fact they were going to be there for seventy years. A lot of them would not live to see freedom, but those who did would never view their freedom the same.
If the Lord would tell us what lies ahead, many would choose to respond like Jonah – “Oh, so you want me to go east, hmmm, I think I’ll go as far west as I can.” But you see what happened to Jonah. We’re a lot like Jonah who, even after he carried out God’s will, still belly ached and was upset with God because God did exactly what Jonah believed He would do, but Jonah didn’t like it. He thought the Ninevites got away with their sin when Jonah wanted them to suffer.
How like many today. We want people – everyone but us – to get what they deserve. If the Lord outlined our life when we were twenty and told us: “You’re going to fall in love with a beautiful person, but it’s not going to work out and your heart will be broken. But don’t worry, you’ll meet someone else and just when you think everything is perfect, yep, they’re leaving also. But take heart, when your son gets cancer you’re going to meet someone else…and on it would go until you’re probably thinking: “Thanks, Lord, I think I’ll find my own way.” Which, of course, would be even more disastrous.
Rick Warren wrote: “You cannot see the whole picture now. You will not fully understand here on Earth why some things have happened to you—but you will one day. And while you wait, you can trust that God is working and using your pain to guard and protect you. Your pain will not be wasted!”
The key as I understand it, is trust. I trust the Lord, so when He told me I had Alzheimer’s I didn’t jump up and down with glee, but I said essentially, “Okay, Lord, I trust You and I know You know what You’re doing, so, let’s see where this leads us.” Whatever the outcome, I’m not blaming God for what I perceive as “bad news,” I delight in knowing I’m not walking this path alone.
Anything can become “good news” when we’re walking with Jesus. If this life was all there was, I’d likely be very bummed, but it’s not. My life now is really good, even with a lot of physical issues, but how ever bad I get, I’m just inching closer to perfection and wholeness that isn’t an option in these bodies of clay. One day I’ll put all the pain, sorrow, and heartache behind me, get a new, perfect body that the Lord made special just for me, and celebrate King Jesus every second for eternity.
But honestly, I can’t wait, I’m going to celebrate Him every second while I’m still on earth. There’s no amount of worship, praise, honor, or adoration I can offer Him that could approximate all He’s done and given me in this lifetime. There may be some things He’s holding back to keep from scaring me to death, but I’m confident the light of His love will extinguish the darkness, whatever it may look like.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 