DEVOTION – DAY 312

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “God’s Good Plans”

 

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

 

The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the Jewish exiles in Babylon to encourage them. He wanted the Jewish exiles to know that God had not forgotten them. God had plans for His people. God controls prosperity and He also allows disasters. In the case of the Jewish exiles, Jeremiah wanted the people to know that God had plans for them and to give them hope. But these plans were dependent on the people’s willingness to repent of their sinful ways. If the people were to call out to God, came and prayed to God and repented, God would listen to them. If they sought God with all their heart, they would surely find God.

 

The same is true for us today. As we began the lunar year of the Rabbit on Jan 22, 2023, we do not know what lies ahead of us. But like the Jewish exiles in Jeremiah 29, we only need to repent of all the things we had done wrong and to seek God with all our hearts, pray and call out to Him. He will hear us and He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. We do not need to depend on superstitions like hiding our brooms, or eating auspicious food and shout out auspicious sayings. We do not need to place red cloths over our door posts or use firecrackers to chase away bad luck. All we have to do is come to God and repent and pray to Him and He will listen and shower us with his good plans.

 

We recall that when we were young, our parents would hide all the brooms in the house so that no one would sweep away the good luck from our home. We were also encouraged to wear lucky colors like red and to eat auspicious sounding food like pineapples, dried oysters, and mandarin oranges. There were many customs and superstitious acts to follow so that the family would enjoy good luck and prosperity in the new year. Now, that we are Christians, we realize that such superstitious traditions do not have any impact on us. We only need to repent and call out to God, and He will listen to us and have good plans for us. Even plans that may not be to our liking initially are good, because they ultimately draw us closer to God and help us all to mature in the Lord.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we praise you for all your plans are good. You are gracious and kind. Please help us to draw close to you, always repent before you so that nothing stands in the way between our relationship with you, the Living and Loving God. We pray this in the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Questions

  1. What superstitious practices did you use to follow as an unbeliever when you celebrated Chinese New Year or other festivals in the past? Why did you do them? Share.
  2. Now, as a Christian, what changes have you made to such festivals like Chines New Year, to show that you are no longer ruled by superstition by the Word of God?
  3. What are some of the things you need to repent for so that the Lord can pour out His good plans for you?