God has great plans for you?

 

It's been two years since we arrived at "the meeting place." Most of you have heard the story and I won't repeat it right now. But, I am feeling a little reflective this morning about how far we have come with the meeting place. We moved into 115 East Market Street on May 1st, 2022. We immediately began to make ourselves a home in Bluffton. For most of our lives, we lived in Garrett, a town we had grown to know and love. I will forever be a "Railroader!" Making a home in a different town was a new experience for us. We had been in Garrett for most of our lives even though we had a few stops in between in Berne and Geneva. The difference between Bluffton and the other towns we lived in? 

God brought us here and he sent us to this town on a mission specifically for him!

God has been so active these past two years and since January he has been opening doors for ministry like never before. Yesterday, I worked at the Wells County Senior Expo for the second year in a row. Those who know me, know I love to talk with people. I love to joke with them, pray with them, and just purely share the joy of Jesus with them. The Senior Expo allows me to do all of that. The joy I felt yesterday sharing what God is doing here at "the meeting place" is a joy that is hard to explain. 

It's not just been the Senior Expo. This weekend we are hosting a "fast-track" foster training held by the Department of Child Services on Friday and Saturday. My life has been directly impacted by foster care and adoption. We are so happy they are using "the meeting place." 

Next week I start holding two morning Bible Studies at Grace and Mercy transitional housing. I love this ministry and its mission to address homelessness and offer a place for those recovering from substance abuse and life-controlling situations.

We are developing a growing relationship with area pastors and it was a privilege to help them read through the Bible on the National Day of Prayer last week. We have also been able to help a local church plant here in Bluffton while they await the construction of their new facility. AND we are about to join another church plant in West-Central Fort Wayne.

God is so good!

As I continued reading Jeremiah today I got to a famous verse found in Jeremiah 29:11 -

"'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. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,' says the Lord. 'I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.'" (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

I hear some pastors who are critical of people using this verse out of context. I disagree. This verse definitely applies to us right here and now. God DOES have plans for you. He DOES have plans for good and not disaster. When we pray He DOES listen to us and if we WHOLEHEARTEDLY seek him, we will find him. Our captivity is not physically in Babylon. It is a captivity from sin that controls our lives. I am not saying Stephanie and I have overcome exile like the people of Israel, but we are overcoming the selfishness that has controlled our lives. We are seeking God wholeheartedly and we are finding HIM. His great plans for us, for good and not disaster, are revealed to us each and every day. Isn't that what this verse is about? Isn't that what the story of Israel's exile teaches us? 

GOD HAS GREAT PLANS FOR YOU! He is with you and if you seek him with your entire heart, he will be found and he will rescue you. His plans are for good if you will just seek him. If we ignore him, and live our lives without him, our lives will not experience all the good he has planned for us. SEEK HIM and experience his GREAT PLAN!