10th. November. 2020. Daily Devotion.
10 This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfil my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 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
Have you failed in anything during the past year? I’m going to guess that the answer is a big “yes.” I certainly have. And in my own case — and I think, in many other peoples’ cases — some of the failures have been in things that I considered selfless, or at least a “good cause.” People fail in their attempts to stop committing a persistent sin, for example.
But we must remember one specific and central thing about God’s plan for us. No matter how many times we may fail, and no matter how huge and spectacular the failure may be, it has a purpose. God’s plan for us is for a success so perfect, so large, so eternal, that our eventual success will eclipse all of our failures in life and make them into nothing.
Our personal failures and failings can be seen in the light of Jeremiah. Not only is failure not permanent, but it can be part of God’s plan for our perfection and salvation. No matter how desperate we may feel at our situation in life, God gives us “a future and a hope.” Our plans are made of straw, but God’s plan for us is made of undefeatable spirit. We should never feel despair; our future is assured, even in our failures.
There is no reason to wait. Today is the day to put all sense of failure behind us and look to the future. The past is gone forever, and we cannot change it; but the rest of our lives lies ahead. Let us stride in absolute faith and abundant hope, for God’s plan is our welfare, a promise of total victory.
Lord, let me always find hope in your promise to me. Amen. M. Barge
Thank You Jesus
Dear loving Jesus: How often I forget that it is because of You that I live. You made all of us from the very dust that You created. Then You did the most wondrous of all things, You made us in Your image and You breathed life into us. I join those praying with me today in thanking you for our lives, and we pray that You continue to sustain us each day. From Your heavenly place accept our prayers and our praise. Amen.
Prayer to Treat Others with Courage and Grace
Lord, this day and forever, may I have the courage never to be afraid of anyone. May I have the generosity to bear ill-feeling toward no-one. Lead me to live in such a way as to treat others in the same way as I would like to be treated. Inspire me never to be violent in thought, word or action, and lead me to conquer evil with goodness. Amen.
For Effort
The things, good Lord, that I pray for, give me the grace to labour for. Amen. Thomas More, 152
Time
There is a certain rhythm in our life cycle of birth, growth, aging and death.
With the pandemic, this passing of stages in life has been abruptly changed for so many people.
Lord, help us at this time when our brothers and sisters are in pain and dealing with sickness and loss due to the corona virus
Let us know in a deeper gift, that You are with us; new even in this time of uncertainty and illness.
We place this prayer in the loving hands of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. Amen. — By a Columban Missionary
