For I know the thoughts that I think toward you... Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
Since the very beginning of human existence, sin has introduced a fear of God. Adam and Eve hid from God's presence after they sinned because they knew something was wrong. They didn't want to face God and be accountable for their actions.
Like them, many people today run away from God. They think God doesn't care for them, that God doesn't love them, and that God is angry with them—that God is going to reprimand and punish them.
But this verse tells us that God's thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you an expected end.
What is this "expected end" that God wants to offer us?
He offers eternal life—a chance to live with Him in heaven forever. Jesus came and died on the cross to give you that opportunity for salvation.
In this brief life, we can prepare our hearts and choose Him, so we may enjoy the eternal beauty of heaven. A world with no pain, no suffering, no sorrow—no more death or devil to destroy us.
So how do we do this?
The verse continues to tell us that we will call upon Him, and we will go to Him, and He will hear us.
In today's world, full of problems and difficulties, it often feels like everyone wants to take advantage of us. Everyone is looking out for themselves, and no one seems to have our best interests at heart. But here's the truth: you can call upon God. You can tell Him what's inside your heart. When you pray, He hears you. He has time for you. He died on the cross to save you, and He is invested in your well-being.
So, what are you waiting for? Go to Jesus today! Give Him all that is in your heart. You cannot burden Him, for He holds up worlds! He is invested in giving you that which is best—the most rich blessings you can imagine.
But just in case you were wondering if God was some sort of vending machine that dispenses candy when you insert a dollar, He made it clear that you must seek Him with all your heart. The Scripture says, "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." Friends, you must put everything into searching for God. You must give everything to God—your problems, your sorrows, your sickness, your pain—to receive all the blessings He has for you. If you think God is some sort of checklist you complete every morning or a good luck charm you wear around your neck, you're mistaken. God says you will find Him only when you search for Him with all your heart.
As the legend goes, a young man sought out a great philosopher (usually Socrates) and pleaded, "Master, I want to know the Truth. I want Wisdom."
The philosopher didn't say a word. He simply gestured for the young man to follow him down to the beach.
They walked into the water until it was waist-deep. Suddenly, the philosopher grabbed the young man by the shoulders and shoved his head under the surface.
The student struggled, thinking it was some kind of ritual. But the philosopher didn't let go. Seconds ticked by. The student's lungs began to burn; he thrashed and fought with everything he had.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, the philosopher pulled him up.
The young man coughed, sputtered, and gasped for air. When he finally caught his breath, he screamed, "What are you doing?! You almost drowned me!"
The philosopher calmly asked:
"When you were under that water, what was the one thing you wanted more than anything else?"
The student replied, "Air."
The philosopher nodded and said:
"When you want Wisdom as badly as you wanted that breath of air, then—and only then—will you find it."
Likewise, friends, God tells us that we will find Him when we search for Him with all of our hearts—not in sporadic moments here and there, not once in a while, not just when it's convenient. But when we truly set out to know and love Him, God wants to train our hearts. He wants us to read His word and allow our lives to be fashioned, shaped, and molded so our characters can be safe with Him to take to heaven as they have been transformed by His grace. And then, when Jesus comes, we'll be able to live with Him eternally.
This takes discipline. Ask yourself: would we be ready to live eternally with Jesus right now? Is our character prepared to perfectly reflect His character? God wants to train us now and help us draw closer to Him—to understand who He is, what heaven will be like, and what we'll be doing there—so we can make an informed choice about whether we want to live with Him forever or face destruction with Satan and his fallen angels.
I pray that these verses will be the beginning of a closer walk with God for you!
To remind you of this beautiful truth, we've created two versions of this Bible verse that will help you remember every day that Jesus loves you and wants to be found by you. You can find them below or by going to Do-Good7.com, clicking on Share from the main menu and searching for Jeremiah 29:11-13.
