TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE

DEVOTIONAL

by Anne Teo-Ong

God gives us many reminders, lessons, and assurances in many of His books in the Bible. And often, when we feel uncertainty, fear, or question the events happening in our lives and doubt Him, we can look into His word and find verses that comfort us and remind us of who God is and His plans for us. Among all those verses, Jeremiah 29:11 has always been my personal “go-to.” It’s a verse I regularly recite, and when I come to the Lord to ask why certain events in life have played out the way they did, this verse comes into my mind not to allow me to remember that God has a plan and a purpose. 

On multiple occasions growing up, I have found myself in situations where I go to Him to ask, “why me? Why is this happening to me? What reason could You have for allowing this to happen?” And there have been times wherein, because I couldn’t find my answers, I settled on the thought that maybe God allowed these things to happen “just because.” But thinking this way only leaves me frustrated because, at the end of the day, I still never got the answer to my question. But then I started remembering and integrating this specific verse into my life. 

The most amazing and comforting reminder for me in this verse isn’t just how it tells us that God has plans for us. We know that God has a plan. But here, we are reminded that God’s plans are there to prosper and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. Yes, sometimes we may think that our pains and challenges come to us because we are being pulled down. But with this in mind, we know that with God, there is a comfort and assurance that He only ever has our best interests in mind. He never gives us weight we cannot carry with Him by our side, and He wouldn’t give us a challenge we cannot face. At the end of the day, this verse reminds us that, yes, it won’t always be smooth sailing. But the bumps along the way are there to make us better and give us the strength we need to keep going because God’s intention has always been to make us the best versions of ourselves that we could be.

REFLECTION

May we always be reminded that God has a very special plan for each of us. May this verse remind us, in times when we do not understand, that God’s plans are always there to allow us to grow and prosper. He knows the best path for us, and may we trust that where he leads us is the best and more than what we could ever imagine for ourselves. Let us take comfort in knowing that He is there to give us hope and the best possible future for each of us and that no matter the situation we are in, God is there and will lead us to the path he has chosen for us. 

PRAYER

We thank You, Lord, for the reminder that You have given to us. For allowing us to remember that, even during times of uncertainty and struggle, we can rest in the knowledge that wherever You lead us and whatever plan You may have for us is the best plan there is. Thank You for telling us again that You would never lead us astray and that You have only the best in mind for each of us. May we continue to walk with You and grow with You, and tackle every challenge that comes our way with Your guidance, so that we can follow the path that You have for us. And by walking with You, we know, Lord, that we have a beautiful and hopeful future ahead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.