"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

This wonderful promise was spoken while Israel was in 70 years of captivity. Despite the distress of the time God's prophet spoke the truth about their future. Other false prophets, and there will always such, had predicted that there was no future for God's people. However, God said that He knew His thoughts about their future.

With God you cannot be a pessimist. You can't even be negative because with God you are always on the winning side. You cannot be a loser on His side - just make sure then that you are on His side.

God alone knows His thoughts and He alone knows our future. It is wonderful that God has His thoughts about this bridal couple before us (Neil & Sophie) and toward all of us here. Even if we don't have thoughts about Him and time for Him God always has.

In Is 55: 8 & 9 He declares: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,...for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." It is unfathomable to us that God is constantly busy in heaven, about us! In His greatness He is busy thinking about you all the time because you are precious to Him. He has proved this by sending His one and only Son. The Bible also says in Ephesians 1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." Indeed, His thoughts are exceeding abundantly higher than ours!

Since this is all true how precious shouldn't He be to you? We should be busy with Him!

In Is 49: 15 & 16 we read: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." Engraved into His palm signifies His death with His nail pierced hands. His hands were pierced on the Cross for time and eternity. It would be terrible to turn our backs on such love and not be wholly committed to Him. It should not be necessary to be pushed - just a glimpse of Him and His thoughts towards you should make you say: "I love Him for He has first loved me."

What kind of thoughts does He have toward us? They are of peace and not evil. There are different translations for this word "evil". The Hebrew means bad, the opposite of good. God has not thoughts of evil toward you. He is able to turn around evil and make it work for the good. The greatest evil ever committed was the killing of Christ on the Cross but God worked it for your good.

To give you a future and a hope. Though we might experience temporary distress there is a bright future for God's people. This promise does not mean that there will be no pain and suffering or hardship. But in it all we have hope and peace. God promises a glorious end. This is why I have no thoughts of emigration to another country (of course, you can go if God leads you).

What a life God has in mind for you!

With Him there is nothing to fear; all is bright and glorious. Let His thoughts come to pass in you!