Devotional – Your Best Interest

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)

Years
ago, a well-known and established Jamaican financial institution ran an
advertisement on television that ended with the words, “We have your best
interest at heart. Full stop.”

Those
were powerful words. And I am sure that many potential investors believed those
words and as such, took the bold step to open investment accounts with that
institution. Such a move  would amount to
an act of faith, believing that the institution would manage the funds invested
in a responsible way, thus yielding handsome returns at the maturity date.  The drawback with this, however, is that those
expected returns are not guaranteed. A myriad of things could go wrong in the
financial sector. The stock market could crumble, investment deals could go
awry and the list goes on.  There is
simply no way for anyone or any financial institution to accurately predict
the state of the financial sector in the short, medium, or long term. It is
simply a game of chance.

But
with Our God, things are never left up to chance. He has a plan which stands
firm throughout all generations. How much faith, then do we place in Him? The
God who sees the end from the beginning? The God who knows the past, present, and future? Sadly, not much.  More often
than not, we find it easier to trust in man than in God. 

One
of the biggest stumbling blocks in our way is unanswered prayer. Sometimes God
in His wisdom denies or delays the answer to our prayers because He, in his
wisdom,  knows we are not ready to
receive the things that we are praying for. He knows that if we receive them
immediately, we would be destroyed, or use them for selfish gain. On the other
hand, He may not give us what we ask for because He has something far better in
store for us, as He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or
imagine (Eph 3:20).

The
Bible says if earthly fathers, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to
their children, then how much more our perfect Heavenly Father (Matt 7: 11). He
always gives good gifts. He withholds nothing that is good from us. If He
withholds something, it is simply because it is not good for us.

Let
us, therefore, trust God, knowing that His plans for us are always for good and
not for evil (Jeremiah 29:11). He will make all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes
3:11).  His thoughts and ways are far
higher than ours) Isaiah 55:9). He has our best interest at heart. Full stop.
And there is no doubt about it.

Prayer

Father, I thank you that you have my best interest at heart. Thank you that your plans
for me are for good and not for evil. Help me to rest and trust in your unfailing
love. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.