My Favorite Bible Verses Pt 2

• One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11.

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. NIV

I am reading Hope and Help for the Single Mother.  There are 21 Principles of a Healthy Single Mother.  I'm only on the 2nd principle, but I love this book!  Principle 1 is Hope.  The first two chapters talk about hope.  Jeremiah 29:11 is the theme verse for the second chapter.  I really like the way author Lori Little explains the difference between the words prosper, prosperity, and prosperous.  This is not talking about the health and wealth gospel some preach.  The word prosper means to flourish, bloom or be in your prime season.  I love her explanation of this!

I usually just leave it at verse 11, but Lori Little goes on to verses 12-14.

¹² Then you will call on 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. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” NIV

Verse 11 told me that God has plans to flourish, bloom, and put me in my prime season.  Verse 12 says that I will pray to God and He will listen to me!  I will seek Him and find Him when I seek Him with all my heart.  God says He will be found by me and He will bring me back from captivity.  

My captivity isn't the same as that He was talking to Jeremiah about. It tends to be the worries of this world that holds me captive.  

So in these 4 verses I am assured that:
1.  God knows the plans He has for me.
2.  The plans are to prosper me, not harm me.
3.  He plans to give me hope and a future.
4.  I will go to Him and He will listen to me.  He isn't my genie in a bottle who will grant my wishes, but He will listen to me.  Sometimes just knowing someone is listening makes a girl feel better.  But that also means I have to seek Him
5.  I will find Him when I seek Him with all my heart.
6.  He will bring me back from captivity to sin and all the world's flashy distractions.

I had decided to just slow down on the blogging a little.  The Ultimate Blog Challenge sounded good when I happened upon it a few days ago, but 31 blogs in 31 days sounds a little ..... ambitious.  But then I remembered I posted My Favorite Bible Verses Part 1 yesterday and I didn't want to leave it at one.

I started this post with the intention of putting a few more verses here, but I've ended up writing as I feel led.  Normally I would journal this, but I feel led to post.  Posting allows me to write my thoughts out.  I think better when I write.  I am also going to hit post because doing so gives me a sense of being accountable.  

Until next time.....