Life has been for me a pendulum between pain and happiness. Whenever I become contented with the peaceful times in my life, I can expect a time of pain to follow. I’ve become scared of happy times because I never know what will follow. My therapist says this is the trauma response, and she encourages me to fill my mind with scripture about God’s promises. Standing on the promises I cannot fall, listening every moment to the Spirit’s call. Trusting in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God.
Jeremiah 29:10-14: 10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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. 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.[b] 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.”
[Side note to say that history has never been my strong subject, and particularly Old Testament history. My eyes glaze over when I read about dates and historical events. History was always my worst subject in school, and Old Testament class, along with World History, were my two worst grades at Wheaton College. When I was researching this subject, about which I knew little, I probably missed several details, so hopefully my inferences are correct.]
God carried his people into exile, banishing them for years. If my math is right, they were gone for almost 100 years. They left in “waves” by 3 or 4 deportations, and they returned in waves (not all at once). I bet they didn’t understand why they were being taken into exile. They had to leave their homes to go to an unknown place, and they didn’t have all of the comforts of home. They faced fear, upheaval, and trusted God to provide for their needs. Maybe they questioned why they had to leave. He was protecting them from destruction by exiling them, but maybe they didn’t realize that at the time. He knew the plans that he had for them were good. He planned to prosper them and not harm them, to give them hope and a future. If they had remained comfortable in their homes, they would have been destroyed with the fall of Jerusalem. God removed his people in order to protect them from destruction. I’m hesitant to write on this subject because I’m definitely not a historical scholar, nor am I sure that I understand the details of this exile. What I do know is that God has good plans for his people. He plans to prosper us and not harm us. Any harm that comes to us is not from God, but from the one who tries to thwart God’s goodness in our lives.
What have you faced in your life that was uncomfortable? What experiences have been upheavals for you, or even gut-wrenching pain? How has God used those to bring you good? He works all things for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). He is the ultimate miracle worker, and he can easily turn the worst times in our life to good, if we allow him to move in our lives. What are you allowing to hinder God’s movement of good things in your life? Are you allowing doubt, fear, gluttony, selfishness, pride, deceit, jealousy, and other sins to reign, or are you daily seeking God’s goodness?
Transparent Graces 