“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.” Jeremiah 29:11
Waiting on God and being certain of His blessings is not pie-in-the-sky or wishful thinking. This faith choice is not presumptuous or improper. Blessings are the divine energy of God empowering us to succeed because we choose to believe in His goodness. He has equipped us with a divine destiny. He wants to see us succeed as much as we do.
And so, we wait for what God has promised, in the same way we might wait at a bus stop, in eager anticipation. We aren’t sitting at some random corner, hoping a bus might drive by. We are positioned at the right place at the right time, waiting for what we know is on its way. We aren’t waiting to see if a hopeful future will appear. We are waiting with confidence, certain of it.
These needs keep us running from one relationship to another; one career path to another; one church to another; one substance to another. We play the blame game, accusing our parents, our partners, or our culture. We know we have unmet emotional needs, so we are naturally drawn toward people and situations that promise to meet them. Of course, it is only a matter of time before they fail us. No human can fully meet our deep emotional needs. It is a painful lesson we have to learn time and time again, until we begin to understand what it means to level up.
We must accept the fact that no human being is equipped to completely fulfill another human being’s emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs. It is just not possible. And it is not their fault.
To level up, we must set aside our petty resentments about how others have failed us. We must admit, we are foolish to think they won’t. They are human too!
From this new perspective, we begin to see Philippians 4:19 much differently. God promises to meet all our needs. Not just physical and spiritual, but emotional as well. So, we must now ask ourselves, “What are some of my emotional needs?”
What does your birthday reveal about your spiritual gifts, character, and calling?
This unique devotional uses your birth month and day to guide you through key scriptures—from Genesis to Revelation—using the chapter and verse numbers that match your special day.
What’s inside:
Bible verses matched to your birthday [Month] = chapter, [Day] = verse
Reflections on your spiritual personality, strengths, and values
Encouragement and inspiration for your walk with God
A powerful tool for self-discovery and faith growth
Perfect as a birthday gift, personal devotional, or keepsake.
But Jesus took hold of the boy’s hand and helped him to stand up.
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The Lord cares deeply about you and comes to your rescue whenever you ask for His help.
God sees that some of the things you go through are difficult. You know that help is required if you are going to be able to withstand the pressure and come through to the other side, unscathed.
With the calm reassurance of Jesus at your side, these struggles do not leave you weakened. Instead, you emerge from difficult predicaments with a newfound awareness of your position of power in Christ.
You sense His presence of with greater intensity during times when you are down and finding it impossible to stand on your own. Because of this, you have learned to be grateful for your struggles, because they generate a new level of intimacy between you and your Savior.
Because you know He is there to carry the heaviness you feel after having been wronged, He enables you to move freely into forgiveness where healing can be found.
Assured that the Creator of the universe is interested in what happens to you, and is willing to help whenever you ask, your confidence is solid and no earthly problem can shake it.
Although introspection is important to growth, it is not the main purpose of our spiritual awakening. We are moving into a new position of authority in Christ. We are leveling up. We are no longer human beings having a spiritual awakening. We are awakened spiritual beings affecting the realm of human existence.
Admittedly, human nature can often get in the way, so we frequently ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we need to improve. We ask for help in making the necessary changes. We believe we receive that help and start thanking God for the results even before we see them. We use the words of Christ, “It is finished!” (Tetelestai) to call an end to our obsession over shortcomings and our continual dialogue of negative self-talk.
Empowered by the Spirit of God, and emboldened by the words of Christ, we let go of the things that trip us up. We release our grip on perfectionism. We dismiss the internal committee in our head who sits in judgement of our every motive, thought, behavior, or attitude. We stop auditioning for the lead role and find our proper place in the supporting cast. With the spotlight on Jesus and what He is doing, we take our eyes off ourselves and are relieved of self-consciousness.
Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run then, in such a way as to win the prize.
You do not consider your life to be your own. Your know that your life is set on a specific course designed by God. Your existence holds significant implications for future generations and you do not take this responsibility lightly.
This knowledge doesn’t indicate an attitude of presumption or arrogance, but rather, a position of humility. You know that your role is one of duty, rather than comfort or self-indulgence.
You know that without God’s guidance, you would be wandering through life, unsure of your purpose. Without knowing your purpose, you would be subject to life on the proverbial hamster wheel, struggling to find meaning for your existence.
As it turns out, God has given you a special direction in life. He has chosen you for a journey which takes you far beyond your wildest dreams.
You appreciate this call. You are grateful for the destiny you have been given and you know that there is nothing you lack in order to fulfill it.
Contentment comes easy to you because God has enabled you to see through the deception of greed and envy to find the true meaning of life. You do not get entangled with the past, but you press on toward the goal.
God has provided you with clarity of mind and purpose. You are content with what you have and enjoy the pursuit of something greater than personal happiness.
Your desire to follow God’s plan is evident in the paths you take. There are times you inadvertently veer off course, but you recognize it immediately. When this occurs, you listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice, like a spiritual GPS, and get quickly back onto the right road.
God has given you a creative mind which empowers you to press on with enthusiasm and fervor.
When your time on this planet has ended, and your soul is released into the spirit realm, you will be greeted by your Creator. Having run the course and finished your race, He will welcome you home with open arms and proudly declare, “Well done!”
So, Moses raised his walking stick toward the sky. And the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning flashed down to the earth. Exodus 9:23
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Moses’ walking stick was a common tool of the trade for shepherds, but when lifted at the Lord’s command, supernatural power was ignited. In the same manner, you too are called to divine destiny, using the tools of your trade.
Every day, as you perform your regular duties, you are fulfilling your call, and ushering in the power of God. This power brings freedom and deliverance to you as well as your friends, family, and co-workers. The skills and experience you hold as ‘tools of the trade’ in your daily operations are the elements God infuses with divine energy. He is able to show Himself powerfully as you function in your daily tasks.
You often experience overwhelming gratitude to God for being such a loving Creator who takes interest in the struggles and challenges of His children.
You watch as God’s miraculous power is unleashed to bring deliverance and freedom to those who have no voice. You are honored to be a part of it and you are grateful to have been chosen for such an exciting and fulfilling calling.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war.Ecclesiastes 9:18
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Holding a position of authority, you use the wisdom of God to fight fearlessly against negative influences. You stand in opposition to the ills of society which appear in the form of racism, injustice, and inequality.
Working in collaboration with the Creator of the Universe has given you great wisdom. Because of this, you are often called upon to mediate controversial disputes and restore a proper balance of power within an organization, a community, or a committee.
Although these encounters may seem antagonistic at first, you understand that fear is usually at the root of each conflict.
Tapping into your intimate connection with the Creator, you use wisdom to identify the unspoken fears and establish healthy boundaries where everyone feels safe and heard.
You are a good person living in a very hostile time.
Knowing that it is the wisdom of God that protects you from evil schemes, you remain in a position of safety and security.
You know that all the forces of darkness cannot overpower the Creator of the Light. And in His light, you are always safe. No matter how brutal or relentless the battles may seem, you are sure that victory will always come.
You are fighting the good fight and remain sheltered in the safety of God’s wisdom and power.
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. Jeremiah 29:11
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The truth of God’s word is unchangeable and lasts forever. What He says remains in effect for anyone who chooses to believe it.
If He promises us hope and a future, and we choose to believe this for ourselves, we can live in eager anticipation that His word is being fulfilled in our lives. We can build our lives around the fact that we have hope and a future. It is the solid rock upon which we construct our goals and visions.
Yet we also wonder, “If God’s word is true, why are there people living without hope? Why wouldn’t His promise apply to everyone across the board?’
The answer is deeply complex. The reason God’s promises are not fulfilled is because His words rely on the recipient laying claim to them. These fantastic promises of God are often hard to believe for ourselves. Sure, we believe God is good, but we also know that we aren’t. We believe He does great things for good people, but it seems a bit presumptuous to expect the same blessings as someone who was busy doing great things for God while we were selfishly making a mess of our lives. We know the Bible talks about penalties for bad behavior, so it seems that if we believe in the blessings, we must also fear the curses.
That may have been a valid statement before the cross. But we live under Grace, not Law. Jesus broke the power of the curse, so we can all live in the blessing if we choose to believe it. We need not fear the curse or the consequences of our own mistakes. Those issues have been resolved. We are in a continual state of cleansing, like standing beneath a waterfall. Even a sin committed one second ago, is already washed away in the living water. We live exclusively in the blessings and enjoy firm standing on the promises. Curses do not cling to us. Blessings chase us down.
I am putting my rainbow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world. Genesis 9:13
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After going through the traumatic experience of an earth destroying flood, Noah was in desperate need of reassurance from the Lord. God knew that Noah needed to see a supernatural sign to confirm that he would never have to go through that again.
Therefore, God gave him a sign. He pointed to the colorful rainbow in the sky and promised Noah there would never be another event like the disaster he had just endured.
In this same manner, God confirms His promise to you in uniquely colorful ways.
No matter what you go through, you can count on His light shining through the clouds, creating a prism of promise following each storm.
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 