Deeply Beloved,
We have hope because of God’s plans. What we see on the news, devastating earthquakes, political discourse that can’t even remain civil during a State of the Union address, state sanctioned murder on camera in Memphis … all that evil is not what has the last word in our lives. What, or rather Who, has the last word, the life-giving, peace-bringing, wound-healing Word, is God. We hear it in Jeremiah ch. 29, verse 11:
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” MSG
It turns out that those plans won’t come easy and they won’t come quickly and they won’t come without some work done by the faithful, through the power of God, but the plans do and will continue to come to fruition. Because God does do what God says God will do. There was the Son’s resurrection, so now there will forever be resurrection, restoration and reconciliation for us. It’s God’s dream. And because I can’t imagine anyone who speaks more eloquently on how God’s dream works, I leave you with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who said, “[Hope] points us beyond the world’s nightmare to God’s dream incarnate in Christ Jesus.” Click here for full sermon.
Blessings, peace, and love,
Mo. Nikki+
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