For I know the plans I have for you, declares
the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then
you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will
seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by
you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from
all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD,
and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (Jeremiah 29:11–14 ESV).
Many of the people near that small
stable in Bethlehem missed the greatest moment in history. I don’t blame them for
missing what happened. Who would have thought that the Lord of heaven and earth
would come into the world as a child born in a stable?
We are about to close the book on 2025.
Today you might find yourself remembering some of the triumphs and trials of
the past year. Even if you have had some wonderful successes in the past twelve
months, you can probably remember some low points as well.
As you enter a new year, I hope you can
remember that God’s plans have always been to prosper his people. He can
transform ordinary events and difficult trials into key moments that help his
plans to prosper. He is not out to harm us, but the dark moments we experience
can be part of the most important lessons to help us grow nearer to him.
God has a way of saving his world that
we may find hard to understand. He introduced his Son into the world and
brought about our salvation in a way that could easily be overlooked—and yet he
has changed the world, and his kingdom keeps growing. That same God comes into
our lives and draws us into his plans for a hope-filled future!
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