Grace Notes // Hope and a Future Week 4
Plans to Prosper
Written by Keli Miller
If you have no theology for suffering, no theology for grief, no theology for wilderness, then you do feel like God’s absent because the God you had constructed or the God that was constructed for you has literally disappeared like steam on a mirror. - Sarah Bessey
What does “prospering” look like to you? Probably not exile or hardship. We so often think of prosperity as health, wealth and having our dreams come true. We are really good at meeting God and then molding and shaping him into a god that will work for us. The Prosperity Gospel is at the core of American theology, woven deeply into our everyday thoughts. It’s how we shrug off wealth that feels disproportionate, or privilege that isn’t shared by all. We are blessed.
But how do we shrug off losing our jobs or loved ones, or healings that never come? We are not immune to the hardships and brokenness that life often leaves at our doorstep.
Historians often talk about Israel’s Exile as the darkest part of their history. The darkest part. They were slaves, persecuted, and wandered in a desert and the darkest part still lied ahead- Exile. God’s chosen people have never been immune or without suffering. So, why did we start buying into the narrative that following God would bring us ease?
I think it all comes back to a desire for certainty and a discomfort with pain. If we know for sure that A + B will equal prosperity then we can ensure life long happiness. This is why words like Hanninah’s are so alluring. He gives the Israelites a very clear and certain timeline of when they can expect God to rescue them.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” - Hanninah, Jeremiah 28:11
It is tempting to believe words like Hanninah’s. Words that give us what we want and serve our vision. But, Hanninah’s word was not God’s word. He was merely telling the people what they wanted to hear. We have to be weary of voices like this in our life. It’s far too easy to mask our own plans as God’s plans; Plans that put control in our hands rather than God’s.
I’m not sure why bad things happen, and I would really prefer a life without exiles and hurt. As I read Jeremiah 29 though, I see a God who is present in the Exile; Who’s steadfast love endures even in the darkest seasons. A God who wastes nothing and uses every season and hardship for His purposes. Jeremiah 29:11 has to be one of the most famous bible verses out there. Kids memorize it at an early age, and you can find it printed on literally anything (license plates, wall hangings, pillows, you name it). When you look at the full chapter though, you will see that this is more than just a promise that God blesses those who follow him. This verse is a call to surrender our right to certainty and understanding. It’s spoken to God’s people when they are in their darkest season yet and will remain there. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest of seasons, God is still on the throne and will carry us through.
In The Word:
Jeremiah 29:4-14
Matthew 5: 13-16, 38-45
Psalm 25
Processing:
Have there been times when you’ve felt derailed from your dreams or plans?
Is there any area of life that you have been hesitant to put roots down because you’re hoping for something different?
God instructs the Israelites to pray for the city that's captured them and pray for peace. Why is it important for them to pray for the city? What does this say about the power of prayer? Likewise, who has God asked you to pray for?