One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11. “I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”
I have recited this verse many times in my life to fend off the despair of the devil. I have believed that the God who could see eternity knew the momentary circumstance which was causing me to doubt Him and His unconditional love.
Recently I went through a difficult time at work when several people lied to me and one lied about me. The situation was resolved fairly and now I am putting it behind me but it got me to thinking.
Every day I ask God to accompany me on my journey. If I ask Him to accompany me, do I not imply that I am in agreement with His plans for those people I encounter? If I am in agreement, then I should only want to do things which are good and which prosper other people. If I am intent on doing harm, how can I ask him to be a part of that?
Thankfully in my line of work it would be impossible for me to wish any harm on my clientele. They are the sweetest bunch of little old people that you could ever hope to run across.
Yet I also realized that this may be why I was blocked by the Holy Spirit from being successful in my court fight against my ex-husband. God did not want me to do harm to anyone, even someone who had done so much harm to me and my children.
I thought more about this verse when I saw the news reports on what has happened recently in Paris with the terrorist attacks. Then I reflected on the Muslim friends that I have discussed religion with. They say the only difference between their religion and mine is that I believe in Jesus and they believe in Mohammad.
They say that they don’t have a problem with the old testament and they too follow the ten commandments. They claim we believe in the same God.
Really?
My God wants good for me and to prosper me and not to do me harm. My God wants to give me a hope and a future. If God wants this for me and my God is within me, then should I not want the same for others?
Somehow blowing someone up into bits and pieces just doesn’t fit my idea of being a good thing to do to others and it doesn’t appear to be on God’s agenda. So to my Muslim friends, I love you, but you don’t even know the tiniest bit about my God and who He is.
