"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
American writer, Henry David Thoreau, was born in 1817. He wrote in an era when the male majority literally had all the privileges of a new independence. Yet, he is credited with the quote: “Most men [and women] lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Thoreau wrote this statement contemplating his own personal understanding of quiet desperation and that of mankind.
At some point in our lives, we all suffer from secretly living in quiet desperation. For most of us, it occurs when we believe we are not fulfilling, or have no hope of realizing our God-given potential. For others, it is the full acceptance of mediocrity, both in themselves and others. It is safer to continue in the mundane routine of our daily lives, than to take the risk of the unknown, to break free of the quiet unlit embers that have somehow quelled the fire in our souls.
In today’s verse, God reminds us that no matter how dismayed we become, His thoughts towards us are of Divine Love and complete peace. No matter how discouraging our circumstances, when we call on the name of Jesus, the verse says, He will hear our plea and respond. There is absolutely no reason to go through your life in quiet desperation. At some point, you will have to really believe that God values your life’s potential. After all, He was the One who placed it in you to begin with.
Take the time to really read your Bible; it was created to inspire deep internal thought about your life in relation to God. Use it as the ultimate tool to guide you in understanding the God-given potential for your life. Pray for guidance to alleviate any inner doubts so that you can internalize the depth of God’s Love towards you. Continue to write down your thoughts as you read. It will recalibrate your thinking to foster action, helping you to develop a keen awareness of your life’s purpose; and, eliminate that quiet desperation we often feel. Believe that God values your life’s potential, because the contrary would be to agree with Thoreau, and, go to the grave with your song still inside you. L.
Study Reference: Jeremiah 29:11-13
From: "Quiet Desperation." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
American writer, Henry David Thoreau, was born in 1817. He wrote in an era when the male majority literally had all the privileges of a new independence. Yet, he is credited with the quote: “Most men [and women] lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Thoreau wrote this statement contemplating his own personal understanding of quiet desperation and that of mankind.
At some point in our lives, we all suffer from secretly living in quiet desperation. For most of us, it occurs when we believe we are not fulfilling, or have no hope of realizing our God-given potential. For others, it is the full acceptance of mediocrity, both in themselves and others. It is safer to continue in the mundane routine of our daily lives, than to take the risk of the unknown, to break free of the quiet unlit embers that have somehow quelled the fire in our souls.
In today’s verse, God reminds us that no matter how dismayed we become, His thoughts towards us are of Divine Love and complete peace. No matter how discouraging our circumstances, when we call on the name of Jesus, the verse says, He will hear our plea and respond. There is absolutely no reason to go through your life in quiet desperation. At some point, you will have to really believe that God values your life’s potential. After all, He was the One who placed it in you to begin with.
Take the time to really read your Bible; it was created to inspire deep internal thought about your life in relation to God. Use it as the ultimate tool to guide you in understanding the God-given potential for your life. Pray for guidance to alleviate any inner doubts so that you can internalize the depth of God’s Love towards you. Continue to write down your thoughts as you read. It will recalibrate your thinking to foster action, helping you to develop a keen awareness of your life’s purpose; and, eliminate that quiet desperation we often feel. Believe that God values your life’s potential, because the contrary would be to agree with Thoreau, and, go to the grave with your song still inside you. L.
Study Reference: Jeremiah 29:11-13
From: "Quiet Desperation." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
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