For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
A few things the Lord is showing me this morning, all relating back to this verse. First thing is how so many people think or believe they can go through the bible and claim certain verses and it will be given to them. Even without any changes in themselves. And when they do not get them, then what?
I watch people and see their sufferings, and they see a verse like this and claim it and nothing changes in their life. Many times it even gets worse. Most suffering in this world comes from a few sources. Family or friends relations, financial, or health issues. We can further break them down to things like divorce or kids running away. Ongoing health issues like diabetes, or more serious like cancer. Financial might mean you cannot buy that new car you want, or could be you lost your job and have no income. Or like a sister in law who works for the government, and because of the shut down, she is still expected to work but is not getting paid with no guarantee they will pay the back wages.
This is the thing regarding these struggles or sufferings. Unless you change something, the situation will not change. For example with my sister in law, she is the age of my older daughters so I have taken a certain fondness for her and want to help her. I have made it clear to her she will always struggle and go further into financial issues, unless she changes something. So far no changes. And she knows it is not going to get better, but again, so far no changes. I have made the point to her about moving to Mexico because of the cost to live, starting businesses instead of working for an employer, especially the government. She sees how we live and what we have. But again, no changes.
You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. And I can give the same examples with every other problem you may have. For example health issues, if you keep eating the same trash foods that got you sick in the first place, then take meds on top of it to supposedly fix the problem or manage the problem. You are only making it worse. At one time in my life, when eating way too much sugar and trans fats (like I see most people eating these days). I got sick, but instead of going to the doctor and getting meds, I changed my diet and within a month it all reversed.
In my first marriage, we had major problems, I made the changes I was advised to make, but my ex did not. It left no hope to make it work and we ended up divorced. In my current marriage, my wife has changed a lot. The Lord is the one who has changed her thinking as he shows her wisdom, and what real love is. It is a decision to love, not an emotion. When you decide to not get upset by the little things in your life, and truly forgive. Then things come good. But if you are demanding and expect the other person to do things exactly how you think they should be done and get pissed when they do not do it your way. Then problems will grow. An old saying “don’t sweat the small stuff, and it is all small stuff” holds true here.
Anything you are dealing with is small stuff, it can grow into big stuff, like a simple medical issue can turn into major cancer or heart issues or diabetes. We must make the changes necessary for these things to stop growing and reverse. But there are always warning signs we ignore. And truth we ignore. All of us have a certain amount of common sense and or ability to read the bible and obey what it says. For example you will NEVERhave a good relationship with your spouse if you are cheating on them. And you will NEVER have good health if you eat trash, get drunk every day, and never exercise… Many ignore the truth because they do not want to change. And many decide to change but don’t really put forth the effort. The gym is full of fat lazy people who think they are doing OK, but the results show differently. If you watch them they barely do anything and spend most of the time walking around and talking, or looking at their phones. There was an old commercial of a guy who shows up to the gym, weights himself and then walks around the gym, comes back to weight himself expecting results, then is depressed when nothing changed! Funny commercial but is true in many peoples cases, they do what they know they need, but do not put forth the effort and get no results.
In the last month, I put on a few extra pounds after a vacation to an all inclusive. My stomach was swollen. It felt uncomfortable and looked bad (still not as bad as 50% of the men, but I did not like it). So I fasted, and after cut back on my carbs intake. Within a few days it was back, better than before.
On this one, God did not have to speak to me and instruct me. I know what is expected, and how to change it so it gets better instead of worse. But there are many things in life where we do not know what to do, and we need wise instruction, which there is no better wisdom than comes from knowing the Lord, hearing him and obeying. And as this world changes, and the information changes and you have no idea what to believe. For example, should I do this or that diet? And many people these days make good healthy foods bad for you, others telling you the opposite. So who and what is right?
The only truth is in Yeshua, seek his wisdom. And he will ALWAYS be right and ALWAYS show you the truth with the fruit you bear (your results). If the results are good, then you are sowing good fruit, if bad then bad seed. We are responsible for the sowing part, the results are always because of what you sowed. And the funny thing is almost 100% of the time whatever the so called experts with the degrees tell you, it is the opposite. The medical, government, religious systems are all corrupt and will lead you astray. I know because what they tell me to sow, resulted in bad fruit. But when I started to hear the Lord and do what he told me to sow, the fruit of the Spirit is amazing. And what he tells me to do is much different than these organizations listed above.
So back to the verse and the message, you cannot have the good thoughts of peace and hope for a good future. If you are not doing your works in righteousness. The lying religious world tells you the opposite, that just claim the verse and do not worry because we all sin and always will. But you can still have peace and hope for a good future without changing. We have a heavenly father who wants to bless you and loves you just as you are.
But it is written in Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” The church system tells us the opposite, without saying these exact words. But their message is we will always sin, we have a savior who died for those sins, it is done. But expect to bear good fruit even though you still walk in the flesh. They will argue that you received the Spirit when you said that special prayer, or whatever nonsense they tell you about receiving the Spirit. But you cannot sow two things at once, you cannot sow to the flesh which is what leads to sin, and to the Spirit which leads to righteousness. At the same time. We all sow to both at different times when in the flesh. But it is not sowing to the Spirit, it is sowing to what we value as right and wrong.
On the other hand, when you truly receive the Spirit, you will know it. You cannot know it before that you do not have it because you never experienced it before. But when the Spirit enters you, you will know it. And you will know what you went through to get to that point, it is not an easy road, not like saying a little prayer.
And then you will be amazed at the fruit you are bearing, and knowing that it is because of how you now sow based on the wisdom of the Lord and not your own understanding nor the understanding of others. Then you do not have to claim any verses, the verse becomes true in your life, because again you cannot mock God, you will bear fruit according to what you sow.