Hope & a Future

"'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 upon 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 to the Lord, 'and I will bring you back from captivity...'" Jeremiah 29:11-14

The Lord never ceases to amaze me. I've loved the beginning of these verses from the time I was a small child. Isn't it great to know that God has plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future? Sometimes we lose that hope as we go through life, I'm afraid. But, God knows what's in store for our future, and He plans good things for us!

These verses show us that we need to call on Him, pray to Him and seek Him with all our hearts. When we do, God will listen to us and be found by us. But, best of all, He will bring us back from captivity. While we may not be living in Egypt or Babylon, we are still God's chosen people being held captive by the outcomes of the sin we chose to tango with. I believe an addiction to over-eating is like any addiction to a drug of choice - we feel so bonded to it, so overtaken and entangled by it, so overwhelmed by it that it's become a very real part of our life - it's what we do and think about on a daily basis.

Even now that I've been on this journey for awhile, as the weather gets colder, everything in me is crying out to hibernate. I'm in the mood to cook, bake, eat and sleep! But, I have to seek God to break old cycles, habits and behaviors to free me to accomplish His good plans and purposes for my life. Now, I'm not saying that baking, planning and napping are bad for other folks - but, I know for myself that if I make something, I'm going to eat it...ALL of it. And many times, eating too much just makes me feel lazy in general.

God can free us from this captivity. He promises He will in these verses. Continue to seek Him with your whole heart and mind. Dive into the Bible like it's the best food you've ever tasted. Don't give up! You will find Jesus...your prayers will be heard... you will have the future you're looking for!

Dear God, thank You for freeing us from captivity. Thank You for wanting to prosper us even when we don't deserve it. I'm so thankful for Your hope and the future You have for me. I don't want to miss any part of the good things in store, so please free me from sin. Bring me back from captivity! Restore us to You. We ask for more of You, oh Lord. We seek You with our whole hearts. I pray for everyone reading this, that we would all have healthy bodies for Your glory. Beyond that, give us the future You had originally planned for us. Prosper us, oh God. And may we enjoy You in the process. We love You, oh Father God! Thank You for loving us, too. In Jesus' name, AMEN!