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Faith, Five Minute Friday

The Future Is Now

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The future is now.  I know this might seem like a contradiction because the “now” is the present.  The future is something that is going to happen, not something that is happening.

When I say the future is now, I mean that what we do, what we say and how we behave affects our future and those around us.  So really, we should live like we are in the future.

“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

Every time I would hit a rough patch in my life, I would always think of this Bible verse.  It would give me hope because I knew that God would not let me suffer forever…sooner or later, I would prosper.

I have recently learnt though that this Bible reading doesn’t mean what I thought it meant.  It was one of those “Really?” moments.  You know, when it comes as a shock to you that what you thought something was for so long, has actually turned out to be something completely different.

My hope is not lost though.

Here’s the gist of the story behind this verse…

Whilst the Israelites were in exile, there was a false prophet called Hananiah who stated that God was going to free them in two years.  Well, as we probably know, God doesn’t kinda work like that in letting people tell Him what to do.  It kinda goes the other way around. **wink**

Now, in steps the good guy, Jeremiah, to tackle this. **Sound the trumpets** He approached Hananiah and basically says, (and I’m paraphrasing here) “What do you think you are doin’?” Jeremiah then gives him a bit of a truth bomb and reveals that they are going to stay in exile for 70 years – a bit different to two years.  Some of them probably won’t even live that long to see them being free!

The Israelites will prosper in the future, but only after they learnt to seek God where they are now – in their current situation.

“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7

If we can learn to seek the good things in the situation that we are in now, and be at peace with it, then we will prosper from it.  You’ve probably read this and thought…

How on earth, in my current situation, can I think positive and look for something good? Seriously? I am just too tired and it takes up too much energy.  It’s so much easier to just carry on with the way things are. Nobody cares anyway if I am a bit grumpy.

Does this sound about right?

Friend, God knows the plans He has for us and He will give us a beautiful future. But for now, as we are in this world living our crazy-filled lives, keep in mind that as we persevere through our difficulty, it will bring us hope and success.

Something to think about

Can you think of something that you are facing right now that you are finding difficult?  If so, hold on to the true meaning of what Jeremiah 29:11 brings.  Not hope that He will take away your difficulty and give you a better future, but that He will provide hope during your difficulty to make your future better.

Not hope that He will take away your difficulty and give you a better future, but that He will provide hope during your difficulty to make your future better. Click To Tweet

Prayer

Lord, you know what I am facing right now, and I will be honest with you…I’m not liking it very much.  Be with me Lord, right beside me and give me the hope that I need to persevere through this hard time. Open my eyes Lord, to what is around me and help me to grow through my trials.  In Your Name. Amen

You are reading a Five Minute Friday word prompt. This is hosted by Kate Motaung and is where a group of people write about a given word for that week. This week the word is “future”. (Everything before the line break shows what I wrote in five minutes.)  If you are interested in taking part or reading other people’s inspiring writes, then hop on over to the site.

Five Minute Friday, Happiness

Make A Joyful Noise!

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You are reading a Five Minute Friday word prompt. This is hosted by Kate Motaung and is where a group of people write about a given word for that week. This week the word is “sing”. // marks what I wrote in 5 minutes.

//Singing is in all of us – wether we can sing or not! And all of us at one point will have an urge inside to get out what goes around in our heads – whether it’s humming a simple tune, or pelting it out at full force in the shower!

I use to sing quite a bit when I was younger – in school choirs and church choirs – and wasn’t that bad. I could even reach the top notes back in the day. I struggle now though and you would probably laugh at me for trying (I laugh at me for trying), but that doesn’t stop me from singing when I want to! //

Singing is a great way of increasing our well-being. We breath better because of the amount of oxygen we take in. The more oxygen we take in getting to our brains, it makes us more alert. Singing also helps us with facial exercises because of the expressions that we make when we sing – some people obviously get more exercise that others!

Singing has so many more benefits – mentally and emotionally as well as physically. Focussing on the words that we sing, especially emotional songs with meaningful words, helps to soften even the hardest of hearts. Singing is also very Spiritual and what better way to use your voice, whether you can sing or not, than by using it for God. However we sing, if we are singing for God it is music to His ears. Make a joyful noise it often says in the Psalms. A JOYFUL NOISE!!

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So why not try and let out some of those songs that you have been keeping inside of yourself today. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain with the benefits of singing. Don’t worry about whether you can sing or not. Just because you can’t sing doesn’t mean to say that you don’t sing!!

 

Faith, Five Minute Friday

Empty but still full

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You are reading a Five Minute Friday word prompt. This is hosted by Kate Motaung and is where a group of people write about a given word for that week. This week the word is “empty”. // marks what I wrote in 5 minutes.

//Why celebrate Jesus dying on a cross? Dying in such a humiliating way…

He was stripped…

He was whipped…

He was mocked…

He was tortured…

He was scorned…

…And He was hung on a cross and left to die.

Why celebrate such a barbaric death? We celebrate it because we know that two days later He will have conquered all of this. He will come back to life, leaving that tomb empty.

That wonderful feeling of Him conquering death leaves myself no longer feeling empty like that tomb was. // It’s only been in the week leading up to Good Friday have I felt that something has been filling up inside me.

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I look at what Jesus went through…every whip He felt beating on His back…each nail that was pierced into His skin. He did that for the people who scorned Him…

…The Priests that crucified Him…

…for Judas who betrayed Him…

…the person who hung on the cross next to Him…

…for me…

…and for you.

That empty tomb is a sign that we no longer need to feel empty. We can all be full in the knowledge that Jesus is alive and that we have His abundant grace always filling us up.

Five Minute Friday

You’ve Got A Friend In Me

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You are reading a Five Minute Friday word prompt. This is hosted by Kate Motaung and is where a group of people write about a given word for that week. This week the word is “friend”.

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I guess most of us have probably watched Toy Story and heard of the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. It has been sung at various points in all three of the Toy Story films.

The most poignant time that the song was used though was when Woody saw the episode of Woody’s Roundup in Toy Story 2. It showed the puppet Woody singing this song, which was directed towards the younger audience. Whilst he was singing, a small child is shown hugging the puppet. When Woody sees this, he had a revelation that his main reason for being made was to be there for a child. As well as being a friend to a child, he also realised that he could be a friend to the person that he envied the most – Buzz Lightyear.

What if this was applied to us in every day life though? We all need a friend, don’t we? We all need someone to “round us up” when the going gets tough. We need someone who is going to be by our side.

Do you want to know one sure way to find a friend? Be a friend to someone else first. Why don’t you say to someone today, “You’ve got a friend in me”? You never know that you may end up having a friendship that will never die.