God’s Desires for His People Jeremiah 29:4-14

God’s desires for His people for the coming years:
1. Don’t stop living! (29:5-6) These are normal activities in our lives!
*Build your houses and settle down
*Plant your gardens and enjoy the fruit
(I am not a gardener in one sense but I do enjoy the garden of others)
*Expand and enjoy your families
2. Be a peacemaker! (29:7-8)
*Seek it (Action word: You do it/pursue it actively/take the imitative) Matt. 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
*Pray for it (The government; neighbors, etc.)
I Tim 2:1-3
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; also v.4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge
of the truth.”
*Work at it (Love: I Peter 3:8; Rom. 12:9-21)
Love as brethren. Love is not identical with like. Providence does not ask us whom we would like to be our brethren, that is settled for us, but we are bidden to love them, irrespective of our natural predilections and tastes. Love does not necessarily originate in the emotions, but in the will; it consists not in feeling, but in doing; not in sentiment, but in action; not in soft words, but in unselfish deeds.
3. Look for the Lord’s blessings (29:7-8) We should
*Expect them!
(Why are we so shocked and surprised when God blesses us?)
(Optimism vs. pessimism) The Super Bowl of Life! Who will win?
*Pray for them! (NIV prosper (2xs); prosperity)
III John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. This prosperity would include: financial, physical, and spiritual blessings! It includes the wisdom for making difficult decisions! (Josh 1:8)
4. Don’t be fooled by false teachers! (29:8-9)
5. Remember that God has a plan for you! (29:10-14)
Do not leave God out your plans!
*You have hope (29:11)
*You have a future (29:11) He will gather us to himself
*You have the ‘ear’ of God (29:12-13) prayer
*You have the presence of God (29:14)
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” Heb.13:5 Do you see all the promises made to Israel in verse 14? The Lord has made similar (better) promises for us!
Could this be the year that the Lord ‘gathers us unto himself’?
I told you that I would not ask you to make resolutions or commitments but I would ask you to consider some things this year.
*If your not already doing these things on a regular basis, I will by God’s grace
Be faithful in praying
Pray for the community that I live in (for peace & prosperity)
Pray for my Church family
Pray for all things and in all things!
Be the peacemaker: seek it; pray for it
Work on relationships in my families: home & church
All relationships start with my relationship to the Lord!
Be more content with what God has given me!
Look to the Lord for blessings and be more thankful
for the blessings that I have already received Heb. 13:5
“CONTENTMENT” Spiritually, financially, physically
Be more faithful in witnessing and guarding my testimony
Be more optimistic about life and the future
Rejoice in the hope we live in now and the future that I have in Christ
Be a people of praise and thanksgiving
Thanksgiving: Thankful for what he has done
Praise: Acknowledgement of who He is Himself
Psalm 147:1-2
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Hebrews 13:15
"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is,
the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name"
Doxology:
Jude 24-25
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power, Both now and forever.
Amen.