03/01/2009

Sunday school: Prov 29:23 "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."

Scripture reading: #651

NO VESPER’S: Fellowship honoring Lydia, Richard and Henry this evening @ 5:00!!

Wednesday @ 7:00 – The Apostle Paul on mysticism in spirituality.

‘bloom where planted’ - how to succeed (Jeremiah 2^nd period) 626-582 bc

Jeremiah 29.5. "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.

6. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.

7. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." 8. Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.

9. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them," declares the Lord. 10. This is what the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.

11. 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. 12. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

“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.”

Are you familiar with that verse? It has been widely marketed for a few years now. There are plaques, paperweights, bracelets, stained glass ornaments…each proclaiming “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I really like that verse. It has been a tremendous reminder to so many of us of the potential we each have in the ‘eternal’ scheme of things.

What concerns me is how little attention is given to the ‘if-then’ part of this equation.

• The ‘if’ is found in verses 5 – 7.
• There is a warning in verses 8 – 9;
• a promise in verse 10;
• and then the ‘then’ of verse 11… “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

To get to the ‘then’ of the promise one first has to consider the preliminary requirements.

• Become established – permanency 5. "Build houses and settle down;
• Work toward sufficiency – productivity plant gardens and eat what they produce.
• Extend your family’s influence in the community – responsibility 6. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
• Seek the peace and prosperity of the place where you are, not where you want to be 7. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

Lots of people have idealized and romanticized a life somewhere else, with different circumstances and different people. I believe that God was speaking through Jeremiah a truth for all generations - make the best future you can, beginning where you are…the proverbial ‘make lemonade from the lemons’ of your life.

Then, in due time He can take you where you want to be, if you still want to go. Most of the Jews ‘in exile’ did NOT go to Jerusalem. They were prospering and being blessed where they were.

You can’t get to ‘then’ without dealing with the ‘if.’ It is in the ‘if’ stage of life where we find the “life more abundantly” that Jesus promised in John 10.10.

Too many Christians have succumbed to becoming victims rather than attacking life, and life is passing them by.