MONDAY MEDITATION: Look for Little Joys (September 2)

I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. — Jeremiah 29:11

This is one of the most hope-filled verses in the Bible. It speaks to all who see only dark and feel only fear. It’s helpful, though, to know the context.

Judah had been conquered by the Babylonians, who had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. The Hebrews had been starved and killed, and many of the ones who had survived had been taken prisoner back to Babylon. Yet the prophet counseled them to make a home in that foreign land: “build houses and settle down…” (Jeremiah 29:5).

It was as if he was saying that God really is working behind the scenes and will restore your hope and fortunes. Don’t fear the future. So, focus on today, even if you’re in Babylon, and find the little joys in daily living that may sustain you. Look to your friends, family, and the tasks before you. Look to the miracles of creation greeting you. Such people and things seem to shrink when worry overwhelms us. Perhaps when we focus more on them, we may see that things really aren’t as dark as we fear. They may actually be small ways of seeing that God, indeed, has plans for a future filled with hope, for each of us.