God Initiates

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."


Many Christians recognize Jeremiah 29:11 because it SCREAMS hope to us. When everything seems to be crumbling around us or even within us, this verse gives us a sustaining hope of God's ability to preserve our purpose and destiny. What I have missed in reading this short passsage above is the first word of verse 12, "Then". This word could be read, "As a result of what verse 11 says, listen to the following." The word "Then" points to the time after you discover that God does have a plan for you, and as a result of this understanding you will call upon God.

This reminded me of the great grace God has given us through His Son Jesus Christ. God opens our heart to believe the great things He has for us and in response we seek Him and find Him. How can a dead man seek God?

Ephesians 2:1-10
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.