Lent: A Journey to Hope in Uncertain Timesಮಾದರಿ

There is nothing quite like the illusion of control to shake our surrender. We make plans and try to dictate or negotiate how we think God can and should work. We even quote the promises of Scripture (which are good, true, and valuable) and try to interpret them to our liking and benefit.

As we discussed yesterday, sometimes, we take those promises out of context. Jeremiah 29:11 is often used and sometimes misused in this way. The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 is a good and true promise that God has a plan. But verse 10 lays out a timeline for that plan to be fulfilled—in 70 years! SEVENTY YEARS?! Whether this is a literal 70 years (as most scholars believe) or is used metaphorically to express a long time, it still reminds us that God’s timing is rarely ours.

Many of us get impatient waiting a few minutes for our food or for people we’re counting on to show up. So waiting years for God’s promises is likely to be a challenge. Are we willing to surrender to God’s timeline to experience the fullness of His hopeful promises?

REFLECT

• What do these verses say about God’s plan and the timing of His plan?

RESPOND

• How and where do you need to surrender to God’s timing so you can find more authentic hope in this season?