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Jeremiah 29:11, "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."

What a reassuring scripture. In one small scripture God not only communicates His love for us by telling us that He wants us to prosper, but He also tells us that He will not harm us, always reassuring when you are dealing with a being that can easily conquer and destroy you, and that He is involved daily in our lives because He has plans for us. He then continues by telling us that those plans are too give us hope and a future.

When we really look at this one scripture, it promises us almost everything that humans search for in the world. Success, protection, companionship, hope, purpose, security, and a future are all spelled out as traits of a relationship with God. How many times do we run into people looking for just one of the above. For those people, if they attain just one of these traits, via human means, they would consider their lives a success. Yet, we are promised and guaranteed all of them via relationship with God via Christ's sacrifice for us. The sad thing is that Christians know that the world is hurting and that we have the answer too all the world’s toils, fears, pains and suffering, yet we remain quiet in fear or worry of offending them, or being embarrassed among our peers. That fact should embarrass all Christians from the pulpit to the pew - including the choir loft and the kinder care.

A relationship with God when it is really examined is sort of like a friendship with that kid in school with all the good toys, the best house, and the character trait of REAL dependability too boot. I am not saying we should follow God for the benefits, or the blessings, but I am saying that being around God is really the answer too the human needs and wants that we have. God not only wants our needs meet, i.e. minimal survival, but He wants to prosper us. Unfortunately most Christians assume that the promise of prosperity must be financial. Though God could, and does prosper some of us financially, there is no reason to assume that He only or solely means financial prosperity. God's promise of prosperity floods into our relationships (family, friends, churches), our jobs or duties, our health, our mental well being, our spiritual salvation, our emotional health, and every other area of need and desire we have in this world. The gospel of Christ is not one of financial riches, but one of a rich life, full of spiritual success and hope, but mainly one filled of God, God’s guidance, His aid, His comfort, and His strength. We are not alone in this, we are not forgotten, we have not been forsaken and God does love us. Those things alone are sufficient to call ones life prosperous.

Then, when we think we have had enough of being prospered, cared for, loved and cherished, God goes further and shows us that He does not command / order us around in our lives, like a impersonal dictator, but that He has a plan for our lives, our days, our successes, and our future. He is personally involved and He is personally linked to the plan for our lives. Such a God makes me look to my Greek New Testament to find the perfect word to express how that makes me feel, and here it is - WOW!!! . God’s promise is that He is invested in our success, and that our successes should glorify His will, His way, and His world. Again, that word comes to mind - WOW!!!

How great to have a friend that could order, direct, dictate, and command, but yet guides, plans, assists and aids. What a reassuring thing to know that God wants, and does intimately interact with me and my world. He is not afraid of being challenged, and He is not worried about being proven wrong. God does not have to worry about being out maneuvered intellectually, or worry about being found to be lacking due to some flaw in logic. He is perfect, flawless, and inerrant. He does not have to prove His strength or power like a ego driven deity would. God is confident in His power, His control is permanent, His plans are flawless, and His ways are just. He allows us to interact and learn from Him, not because He needs our approval, but because He longs to make us into the perfect being He created / planned us to be .

What a wonderful God we serve. What a miracle each day with Him is and can be. What a God who not only plans my future, but plans it where I succeed, prosper, and where I am protected from His wrath.