God’s Plan = Jesus
This devotion pairs with this weekend’s Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.
John 16:33 – [Jesus said] “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
I was talking with a Christian woman named Bethany. She explained how, when she was younger, the verse most spoken over her was Jeremiah 29:11. There, God says, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and future.” Bethany heard those words applied to her so often that it became something of a “life verse” for her.
Bethany’s last name is Hamilton. I had the opportunity to visit with her because I know her pastor. Bethany’s been a public figure for over 20 years, since surviving a shark attack, in which she lost her left arm. Since the attack, she re-learned to surf, won many more surfing competitions, became a celebrity, had movies made about her, got married, became a mother of four, and still inspires people all over the world today. So, it seems those words from Jeremiah really did apply to her.
Bethany still appreciates Jeremiah 29:11, but she also sees how it can be taken out of context. Christians sometimes like to hear—“I know the plans I have for you”—as though God were addressing them individually, like God is a professional sports agent. But that is not Jeremiah’s context. Through him, God is speaking to exiles, most of whom died without ever seeing home again. God’s plan is not centered on them as individuals, but on their promised Messiah to come, on Jesus and the forgiveness He would win for the world through His death and resurrection. God’s plan is for Jesus, and Jesus is for us—for all those baptized in His Name.
In recent years, Bethany has been drawn to a different verse, the one at the beginning of this devotion. Notice there that Jesus isn’t promising to make all your dreams come true. He’s saying, “Look, it’s going to be difficult. But in Me, you don’t need to worry about it.” Today, Bethany speaks to people all over the world. As you can imagine, she has a powerful story. Often, with stories like these, the implicit message is: “If I overcame this awful thing, you can too.” But Bethany points people to John 16:33. In this world you will have trouble doesn’t just mean big, life-altering tragedies. It also means the daily mistakes and sins we commit as well as the things we suffer because of the sins and mistakes of others. The plan God has isn’t me-centered, but Christ-centered. God’s plan is that for all eternity there will never be a moment when we stop needing Jesus. And He will never stop being there to give us peace.
Bethany may be a celebrity, but she still has everyday troubles. And only in Jesus does she find peace. The morning I talked to her on the phone, at one moment in the conversation, her child is screaming in her ear, someone has locked the keys in the family car, her mom comes to help, but has accidentally grabbed the wrong set of keys, and won’t be back for a while, leaving Bethany to scrap her plans for the day. I said, “Wow, sorry, that sounds really frustrating.” She says, “Oh, I’m not worried about it.” (If you want to hear my conversation with Bethany Hamilton, check out The Lutheran Hour this week).
WE PRAY: Dear Jesus, help me to have peace in You today. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour.
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