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Could You Be More Specific, God?

"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."  Jeremiah 29:11

I can remember the day I graduated from high school.  I was filled with excitement as I walked across the stage and stepped into the next phase of my life.  I felt secure in my choice of which college to attend and I just knew that by the end of the next four years, God will have very clearly and specifically revealed to me what my future was going to hold. 

Four years later, I'm walking across the stage at my college graduation and I knew for certain what the next few years of my life was going to entail.  My husband and I had gotten married the summer after my sophomore year in college and two years later I was four months pregnant on the day of my graduation!  I had known from the time I was old enough to cradle a Cabbage Patch doll in my arms that being a mom was going to be very high on my 'To Do List' in life!

During the years of raising infants and toddlers, I never questioned what lie ahead because I was just doing my best to make it through each day!    However, the older the kids got, the more the thought crossed my mind,

"God, now what?  And could you be specific please?"

Everyone likes to throw out that verse in Jeremiah about God's will to give us a hope and a future, but I always got tripped up on a couple parts of that verse.  The first part that gives me a fit is the "I know" part.  With the utmost respect to God, I'm super glad that He knows what my future holds, but I'd really be appreciative if He'd let me in on the secret!

The other part of the verse that causes me indigestion is that I want to hear a few more details!  You see, I'm a planner and I'd love to hear something like this:

"Staci, your life is going to look like ___________, ____________, and ___________."

Wouldn't you love that?  A Bible verse tailored just for you!

However, God is immensely smarter than we are.  I am pretty certain that He gives us this 'big picture' verse which is somewhat vague because He knows that it is all our feeble minds can handle at a time.  He doesn't give us the specific details that our controlling natures so strongly desire because He wants us to trust in His perfect plan and provision for our life.

As I look back at my life since the day I walked across the stage at my high school graduation, I see God's Hand at every turn.  He has proven Himself trustworthy time and time again in my life. 

So, I might not be able to read a detailed outline of each event that lies ahead in my life, but I can look back and remember that God has always kept His promises.  He has been so faithful to prosper me in more ways than I can name and He has renewed hope for me whenever all hope seemed lost.

So today I'm choosing to humbly accept the lack of details that I have concerning my future and trust that God will share them with me when He thinks I'm ready for it.  Thankfully, I can trust Him with my soul and my future, as unknown as it seems right now.

Are you uneasy about what your future holds?

Are you nervous about a job change or a change in your financial situation?

Does the thought of not knowing what lies ahead worry you?

If so, take a minute to stop and think about all of the ways God has seen you through times in your past.  Has He ever let you down?  You might not have been the most prosperous financially, but has He prospered you with friends and family who love you?  Has He ever left you hopeless, to never pick you back up and put you on your feet again?  I doubt it. 

Our God is a loving God and He fulfills His promises.  Claim Jeremiah 29:11 over your life today.  Let's all let go of the reigns of our control and let God see us through in our futures, just as He has so faithfully done in the past.



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