“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (NLT)
11 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. (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (English Standard Version)
I like looking at the different translations of the same verses to compare them and see what makes the most sense.
For example, in this one, I prefer DECLARES over SAYS. It sounds more like He meant business. I can believe Him.
Next, he has plans to for me to prosper. For my own good. For my own welfare. I need to hear it all those ways sometimes when I'm thinking, "Really? You sure about that one, God???"
Last, His plans will not lead me to DISASTER, or EVIL, or to HARM. I can be sure (since He declared it) that if I stick to the path I believe is right, it will have a good ending.
James said "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (James 1:2-3)
Translation: what doesn't kill us will make us stronger.
Notice that all 3 translations promise the same outcome: a hope and a future. When I am hopeless about a situation, it makes me physically sick. (As you may have read in earlier posts, that tends to be my reaction to many things.) Without hope, there is no reason to continue.
“Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope." --Hal Lindsey
So what do we do in the meantime?
Jeremiah 29:12
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
And just hold onto whatever hope you can muster. Addison Road put it into a wonderful song. Thank you, God, for the blessing of promising us hope.
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