Jul 29, 2018
Jeremiah 29:11-13Jeremiah 29:11-13
NRSV11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,
plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with
hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I
will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if
you seek me with all your heart, ESV11 For I know the plans I
have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for
evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call
upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You
will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your
heart.
What does this scripture mean to you?Has it had a different effect
this reading as compared to times past?How does this scripture make
you feel?
Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning.
Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation:
Normally I don’t get too heavy into heavy into history in
this podcast but I feel that this is really important for a
metaphor for our time. During the time of the Old Testament God
warned the people to repent or they would be overthrown. The didn’t
listen and paid the consequences. At that time the people of Israel
were divided into the northern and the southern Kingdom. The
northern Kingdom retained the name of Israel and the Southern
Kingdom retained the name of its principle tribe of Judah. Jeremiah
was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom. Both the North and the South
Kingdoms had prophets foretelling their demise. For the northern
Kingdom this happened around 721 BC. They never regained their
status as the people of God. Because their religious practice and
culture had been mixed with other nations they were regarded very
lowly by the Jews at the time of Jesus. One name used to represent
a subset of these people during the time of Jesus was Samaritans
who Jesus taught and spoke of.
In the time of Jeremiah the Southern Kingdom had been overthrown
also. They had been brought into Babylon but here God lays out a
way for them to return. A way for them to remain the people of God.
That way is to search for him with all their heart. Jeremiah tells
them that in 70 years the Lord will deliver them back out of
Babylon. Other parts of the Old Testament show how the people were
able to return after a time. For you and I in our time God has
continued to tell us how to be saved by him. He has taught us how
to overcome death and sin. The answer is the same. Search for Him
will all our heart. When Jehovah told this to Jeremiah to tell to
the people, he knew that he would come and die for us all. He knew
that we stood no chance to be redeemed through the Law. Our only
hope is to search for Him. May we humble our hearts and search for
God will all our hearts.
Meditation of Prayer:
Pray as directed by the Spirit.Dedicate these moments to the
patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you
desire from Him.
Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:I invite you to sit in
silence feeling being patient for your own faults and
trials.
Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life:Implement the
kind of change you want to see in your life. Length,
Intensity, Modality, Freshness, Conclusion:2 People who have
dedicated artistic talent to help move the podcast along.
Schedule Christianmeditationpodcast.com/contact
Patreon.com/Christianmeditationpodcast
Final Question: What could you do in your life to search for God
with all your heart.
Final thought -We can be delivered only by seeking God. One
powerful way to do that is to engage in meaningful prayer. I make
this podcast to assist you and me in maintaining a prayerful and
God centered mindset but it is not enough to listen and feel calm.
We need to search for Him through deep and meaningful prayer. My
greatest desire with this podcast is that it inspires each of us to
do just that. And to develop a relationship with God that drives us
ever closer to him, a relationships that constantly strengthens our
faith and guides our actions to abide by what He has
taught.
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