Craig Clouston

 Plans of Hope

January 12

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 … You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11, 13

Work was coming slower due to the housing crunch, and Gary was stressed. The bills were mounting; there was unspoken strain between he and his wife, and he didn’t know what to do. He’d been trusting God for as long as he could remember, yet this was different; there seemed to be a silence on God’s part right now. He felt they were being tested to see if they really believed what they professed, that God would meet all their needs.

A friend suggested they allow their prayer time to become a time of listening rather than petitioning. So over the next two weeks, Gary and Beth spent their mornings together, asking only for God’s wisdom to deal with each day and what it brought, looking to Him for guidance and strength.

Job contracts remained flat lined; it seemed as if nothing was happening, yet during those two weeks, they had felt God’s peace. This morning, they’d received a card in the mail containing well wishes and fifty dollars from an anonymous donor. Two days later a friend dropped by with a bag of potatoes and a sack of onions. Over the next several weeks, they watched as God provided in ways they never would have imagined.

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When we’re stressed out and fretting over unmet needs, we can get emotionally bogged down. God’s voice can become white noise in our lives, and we can lose hope.

The art of listening is something we develop. It requires intentional thought. In a chaotic society that vies for every thought, we must force ourselves to slow down, spend time alone with God, and listen. By listening for His voice instead of immediately trying to resolve problems on our own, we become aware of God’s leading. It is then we learn to walk beside God and not run ahead into hopeless frustration.

Prayer

“God of hope, we ask to hear Your voice so that we may know You are near. Help us trust You and Your plan for our future. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”