Knowledge is the illumination we receive that makes ignorance disappear.”
–Clement of Alexandria
“In the realization of the nearness of our God we shall find strength for all He is calling us to do.”
–G. Campbell Morgan
Once in a while I do some real pondering. Believe it or not it is true. Sometimes it causes be to scratch my head and look around in wonder. I was doing a little study last week, and though I pondered this thought before, it came upon me again. Thoughts can be rascally.
Before I go on with my thought I want to set this question before you. Why is it so hard for us to trust God to rule in every area of our lives? There may be several answers but I want to give you one to ponder; let your mind do some working; it might need some exercise. I think it is because we are afraid we won’t like the trail He has chosen for us?
“Ah, ah, wait a minute,” I’m reading your brain waves. We have free will and we can do as we please. And I will answer, “Yes, absolutely”. However, are we not to totally give ourselves unto the Lord? Are we not the “temple of the Holy Ghost”? Are we not to be a “living sacrifice”? I have noticed that in the last several years the most often quoted and most often used Scripture among people, especially young people is found in Jeremiah. Yep, you got it.
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” (1:9,HCSB)
“‘For I know the plans I have for you’—this is the Lord’s declaration—’plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” (29:11, HCSB)
Look first at 1:9; God is speaking to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was to be a prophet and this was proclaimed from the womb. Wow! But I know of many people out there who said that God told them when their son was in the womb that he would be a great minister and the son turned out to be a bum. Ponder that! Look at the verse in chapter 29. There are several things here, but one is the fact that God has plans for our welfare, not for our disaster. That plan was Jesus Christ. With Him and only through Him is there a future and a hope.
These verses are not proclamations that you will become rich, famous and successful (in the eyes of the world). Many have turned these verses into a self-proclaiming prophecy–a false prophecy I might add. If we really believe those verses, then it would be okay for God to plan a life of drudgery working as a hamburger flipper, or cleaning the aisles at a department store. Does He not know what we need? Does He not look to “give us a future and a hope”?The problem is that many Christians do not want to walk in agreement with the Holy Spirit.