purpose

In the sermon at church today, our pastor, Matt, brought up God's indelible hand, the one that controls everything, and brings all things to pass as they should. We were looking at Jeremiah 29, where God speaks to the Israelites after they have been taken into exile in Babylon.

v. 4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon...

God directed them into that exile--it was no mistake. He didn't turn his back for one brief moment, only to turn around and discover His people had been carried off by pagans. God carried them into exile. Not the Babylonians. He also promised He would carry them out in 70 years, because He knows the plans He has for them. Plans for prosperity and hope. A future.

Matt made the message tangible for us, talking about how God has brought us specifically into San Diego. It was neat for me to hear...I don't know how many other people there today were relatively new to the area, but it was cool to think that God does have a plan, and He is the one who carried me to this place. Not myself, or my job, or even my family. I feel as though I went through my own time of "exile" in the year before I made the move, and I am so ready to look forward into God's good, prosperous plan for my life. I am so grateful for His hope. And so glad that with Him, there will always be a future.