Well Fare not Welfare

"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 a 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 the Lord...
Jeremiah 29:11 and following

These verses are found in Jeremiah and are directed toward the children of Israel, and specifically relate to God's promise to restore them from captivity.

Another version translates "prosper you" as "your welfare," and there are some who would use these verses to promote a "health and wealth gospel." While I do not think that this is an appropriate application of this promise for today's believer, I do think that there are some general principle's which can be drawn from this passage.

When one calls to mind Jesus' promises relating to ask, seek, and knock, then it follows that this is an Old Testament (OT) promise which relates to the same idea - if we will earnestly and actively seek God, then He will draw us to Himself.

Further, we can certainly juxtapose these verses with Paul's promise in Romans chapter 8. As long as we do not over-emphasize the positive aspect of these verses and verses 28 through 30 or Romans 8, then we can rest assured in the knowledge that God has plans for us. Plans for our welfare, our well being, and not for our destruction.

More to the point, Paul speaks in Ephesians 2:8-10 that God has already prepared good works for us to do. While there are many who adhere to a complete Calvinistic doctrine as it relates to the sovereignty of God and His foreknowledge, I would submit to you that these verses should give rise to intense joy and excitement on our part.

Why?

Because as we take into account the whole of Scripture, we understand that God wants the best for us, His children. He has created us with unique gifts, talents, and abilities and desires that we would seek to explore them in concert with our worship and adoration of Him.

As we invest ourselves into the good works that God has already prepared for us, we acknowledge His sovereignty in our lives. While at the same time, we pro-actively interact with who we are, what we can do, and what it is that we ought to do in light of Scripture. It is a curious thing that the sovereignty of God is just as true as our ability to exercise our free will.

I'm sure that many of you have seen Spiderman, or read the comic books, remember what Peter's uncle says to him - "With great power comes great responsibility." The same is true of our free will. Our ability to make choices obligates us to exercise it, carefully and judiciously, not for our own aims but for the cause of Christ.

Back to my question, why should we be full of joy and excitement?

Because I have a heavenly daddy that is in complete and total sovereign control. Nothing can happen to me that he doesn't already know about. He has already prepared things for me to do. As long as I am earnestly seeking to find Him, I will find Him. In finding Him, in building a closer more intimate relationship with Him, I will recognize the fingerprints of God on those things that God has set before me to do. How Awesome is that?