Nougat 9

Hello

Blessed Saturday to you. It is quite easy for us to forget Whose we are when in the middle of a crisis. Often we begin to panic and fret and in the process, we neglect to call on our not-so-Secret Weapon, the Lord Almighty. But, there is another way to be. And so I offer to us today’s Holy Nougat

“For I know the plans that I have in mind for you,” declares ADONAI, “plans for shalom and not calamity—to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭TLV‬‬

The Israelites were in a crisis. Life as an independent nation governed by their own king was done. They had become a colony of the Babylonian empire and brain drain was very real. Those left behind were despondent, and those who were forcibly migrated to Babylon worries about losing their identity, culturally and spiritually. It was hard for them to see a way out. Psalm 137 gives us some clues about their state of desperation.

But God

The Israelites were God’s chosen children then. And while they sinned themselves into exile, they still belonged to God. They might have forgotten, but God remembered Whose they were. Not only did God remember them, but a plan was already in place for them.

A plan to remind them that God was their Savior regardless of where they were, Jerusalem or Babylon. Just as God was their Savior in the wilderness – no temple, no country to call their own, no military or king. They were God’s then and God still had a plan for them.

Because they were God’s own, they had reason to hope – God remained Creator and Guide. Despite the detour, they were rightfully located for that which God had in store for them. God’s plan was delayed, but not aborted. But they had to take it on Faith.

And so it is with us my dears. We also are God’s own. And whether we deliberately sinned our way into our tight situations or not, we know that God has a clear and individualized plan for each of our lives. It may be difficult to sing the Lord’s song in our own homes, rather than together in the temple (building); BUT God is with us in our homes as God has been with us in times past. Thus we have reason to hope, for God’s got our future.

Here’s the irony; pre-Covid-19, we made many plans for a future we did not know, claiming trust in a God we could not see, and it was okay. Those plans are derailed , but God is still the same. In that regard our status has not changed, only our circumstances. We still belong to God, and we can make plans for an uncertain future, because God is constant.

Because we have not lost our status as God’s children and we are still alive, we know that God’s plans for our future is still ongoing. And since God’s clear and individualized plans are still in effect; we have reason to hope, to praise, to pray, to be.

So that ought to put us in a wonderful space mentally and spiritually. It gives us reasons to pray for the end to this pandemic; to pray an end to the plans of those who are capitalizing on this situation by increasing fear and promoting their own agendas. It gives us reason to celebrate blessings received thus far, and where possible, share those blessings with others. To pray wisdom and integrity for our leaders of government, industry and in the healthcare sector. To pray a blessing upon our nation (ours and all the others), as we humbly seek God’s face to turn things around; according to the plans God has designed for us all.

We shake despondency and panic off, remembering Whose we are, and walking in that knowledge.

We belong to God; hallelujah!

God is Sovereign (in total control); so God has a plan: let’s worry less

God is restoring our hope through those plans: it’s time for praise

God’s determines our future: reason to pray for discernment.

Good morning

In Christ’s love and grace . . .