11 I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. 12 When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me.
Reflection
I love when our church sets up the Labyrinth for Holy Week. It offers me an opportunity to come away from the stress and cares of the day, and to spend time in quiet reflection with God. Walking the labyrinth allows me to pray and reflect on what is happening in the world and in my own life. It’s a place to release my concerns into God’s loving care, seek God’s plan for my life, and return out into the world renewed, to love and serve others. I need this time of seeking God, because lately, I feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, when she says, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Nothing seems familiar, it feels as if I’m in an alien land and every day is filled with both anxiety and frustration for the future, while I’m trying to follow Jesus’ command to love others.
That’s why this verse from Jeremiah brings me both comfort and hope. Spoken to the Israelites in exile in Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah reminds the people of God’s promise to be faithful to Israel. Even though God’s people have broken their promise to follow God’s laws and be God’s people, God has never stopped loving Israel. The people can trust that God has a good plan for them, even though their lives are difficult while they are living in exile, God is still faithful. They can now have hope in a better future, that God will bring them from
suffering in disaster, to returning home to live in peace, as they seek God’s will for their lives.
Holy Week has come and gone. Now I’m on the other side of Easter, the Resurrection side of new life in Christ and the promise of living an abundant life. I’m still seeking to discern God’s plan for my life, but I’m learning to hold onto the peace and hope that the resurrection brings. I trust in God’s loving promises, I experience the joy of the Lord in worship at church and in serving others. Most of all, I’m learning to trust in God’s plans for peace and a future filled
with hope.
by Jeneene Reduker
For Pondering and Prayer
Living an abundant life begins with a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It thrives as we grow and discern our purpose and serving others. God asks us to seek God with our whole hearts and God will listen to us. Take time now to seek God with all your heart. Are you trusting in God’s promises to love you, to be with you always and to give you peace and a future filled with hope?
Prayer: Holy and Loving God, we are your children and we are seeking you with all our hearts. Help us to trust the plans you have for us, and give us peace and hope that you are always with us, both now and in the future. Amen.
