BLOOM

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

A commonly heard and used verse. But this morning as I read it, it suddenly dawned: this verse comes to the Israelites in a hard, dark place! They are exiles, living in Babylon, far from their homes, far (they think) from their God.

But, God tells them HE is the one in charge, not their captors. HE placed them in Babylon. They are to grow, prosper, expand – IN CAPTIVITY! In fact, He tells them they are to pray for their captors and empire because their prosperity and future is linked, by God, to Babylon for the time frame He has determined. They are TO BLOOM WHERE HE PLANTED THEM.

When we get into hard or difficult times, when life throws us a curve ball, we have a tendency to think, “God how could you do this? Get me out!” What if that hard place is for your benefit, your growth, or even, gasp, for your protection? Nothing, let me repeat: NOTHING, is unseen, unknown, unexpected by God. If you are a believer, if you are His, you are never out of His hands.

And it is in the depth of this dark place God says “I know what I have for you, and it’s for your good, your benefit. BLOOM where I placed you!”