On A More Personal Note

T

he newscast was almost over.  The events of the day had been anything but uplifting and everywhere it seemed people were experiencing all kinds of difficulty. Arrests were made in a nearby town of two men charged in the kidnapping of a young teenager, a riot had broken out in a western state, flood waters wreaked havoc in South America, and somewhere in Europe, a new strain of flu was infecting thousands of people at an unprecedented rate.

Jim sat in front of the television set almost numb from the bombardment of negative statements pouring forth from the television anchor.  The day at work had been no picnic either with news that the company was downsizing and that his job might be in jeopardy.  He had worked faithfully for over fifteen years, always arriving early, staying late on many occasions to finish a project, and sacrificing for the company when it needed him most. Now it seemed the company was running out on him and his family, turning its back on him when he needed it most.

It was just at that moment that something caught his attention.  His finger was poised on the remote’s on/off button.  He had been surfing through the channels looking for a glimmer of hope, for anything that would convince him there was still some optimism in the world, but he found none.  He returned to the local station to catch the last five minutes of the broadcast before taking a shower and heading to bed.

That’s when it happened.  The anchorman had finally reached the segment of the broadcast entitled “On A More Personal Note…”  This portion of the broadcast occurred on Friday evenings and usually involved a “feel good” story to help viewers make it through the weekend; to end the week on a brighter note.  Jim decided to watch these closing comments, convinced it could only make him feel better, not worse, after what he had witnessed on the rest of the channels.

The story was about an elderly lady who lived alone and who had trouble maneuvering around her home.  She had a severe case of arthritis in one of her hips and the other had been completely replaced just a few short years before.  Her neighbors took care of her needs, checking on her each day, making sure she wanted for nothing.  But today was different.  The members of her neighborhood association had secretly been raising money to purchase a motorized wheelchair for her that would give her greater mobility.  The news clip showed the lady with her neighbors as they presented her with her new means of getting around.  She was overwhelmed and thanked them over and over again as tears of joy streamed down her face.  Her neighbors had been planning a way to help her and she didn’t even know it.

Do you realize that God works in our lives each and every day in the same way as this lady’s neighbors?  When we don’t realize it, when we think nothing positive is happening in our lives, and when it seems that no one cares for us and God is a million miles away, it is just at that time God speaks to us on a very personal note.  God wants us to know that He is in control of every situation and that He is working so far ahead of us, making plans and provisions for situations we haven’t even thought of yet.

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of those personal notes we need to be reminded of daily.  Jeremiah writes, “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.” What a wonderful promise from our Heavenly Father this is.  Unbeknownst to us, God has been working and continues to work in our lives on a daily basis. He has plans for us. That means He thinks about us, knows all about us, and works to make sure we have His very best.  The plans God has are always for our good.  We do not serve a distant God but one who seeks to have a relationship with us and who wants us to know Him in all his fullness.

Today, it may seem the world is falling all around you.  It may be that you are wondering if God hears or even cares about you.  You may be wondering what the next step in the journey is or what God would have you do.  Lastly, you may be experiencing one of those times when God is silent and you want to hear from Him.  This is where your faith comes in.  Jeremiah tells us that God knows the plans He has for us.  They will not bring us harm but will give us hope and a future.  That means God must work out ahead of where we are if we are ever to experience all He has for us.  As you read this passage today, take time to listen carefully and you will hear God speak in your ear the following words concerning you, “Now, on a more personal note…!”