““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.”” Jeremiah 29:11

We travel along God’s path for our lives, not seeing the end, but faithfully following Him.

I have been at something of a standstill lately. I have been discouraged and disappointed and questioning whether I have God’s purpose for my life correct. Am I mistaken in what I think is His calling? Am I “in” God’s will for my life? Am I following the path He has chosen for me? Am I a good enough writer?? I am a mess of questions and self-doubt.

I have been reluctant to share that I have actually sent some of my children’s stories in to some publishers with high hopes. I have sent nature stories to publishers who want stories to inspire kids to get out in nature, I have sent “lessons of life” stories into publishers who publish similar stories. Silence! Not a word. No interest. Not even a “no, thank you”. Silence…

So I wonder, I ask God, I question myself, I think maybe I have it all wrong. But then the other day in my Bible reading, I re-read Jeremiah 29:11. And I realize that God does have a plan for me. God wants to “prosper” me, God will not harm me, God does have a future in mind for me! (Even though I have begun this particular ministry in my “later years”!) My future, whatever that may be, is with God. If He has called me, instead of questioning, I need to move forward. I need to explore other paths, I need to persevere in His calling and move so that He can guide me. If I give up, if I stop trying, if I don’t write, I will never get to where He has planned for me to be!

I realized that God doesn’t give up on us, we are more likely to give up on God. When things aren’t easy or don’t “come together” like we believe they should; we give up on God’s plan. We fall short. We listen to the voice of the world and become discouraged. We are disappointed. But God is always loving, always true, and always looking to give us “hope and a future”.

I also like this verse from Psalms 16:11 “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” We have to discern and follow God’s path, allow for God’s timing, find God’s life for us, and we will experience the “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” at His Holy, Divine, and Loving right hand.

This week let us all look persistently to the Lord, our God and trust fully in His promise to prosper us and not harm us, to give us hope and a future. Let’s examine and test His path for us and press forward to follow His guidance and live our lives in His presence. Let’s see where this hunger for God and His plan takes us.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me this week as we all search for and define God’s path for our lives.