"As soon as 70 years are up..."

I admit that there are days when my emotions can nearly get the best of me. Going through an "emotional funk" happens to me from time to time, particularly if I get distracted by the "slowness" of my growth, etc. It concerns Amy (and me) since it can trigger past memories and fears. Though it's not happening for the same reasons as before, I still don't like it when I can't shake it.

The past week or so has been one of those "funks." I am praying desperately for God to break it and show me why I am having difficulty living joyfully certain days. I am not giving up or giving in to despair; I just feel a sense of "blah." I want to see God move in a mighty way, but it doesn't seem to be happening, particularly in my work/career. I see growth, though slower than I prefer. I have a desire to provide for my family, though I put us through a major mess that we are still recovering from. Things could be so much worse, so I am thankful for that truth.

As I wrestled with certain questions in my mind about God's calling, His direction, provision, accountability, fears, etc, I thought about Jeremiah 29:11. Many of us have memorized Jeremiah 29:11, but it's important to look at verse 10-14. It puts things in context regarding God's promise to take care of us with plans to "prosper" us.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 The Message (MSG)

^10-11 This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

¹² “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.

^13-14 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.

70 years. That's how long it would be before God's promise would be fulfilled. 70 years! He said, "...and not a day before." Wow, that's a long time to wait on the promise of blessings and plans of prospering. Better than prospering, they would find HIM above all else and have a restored relationship with Him (verses 13-14).

Those are the questions I have to ask myself lately - 

• Am I committed to God's plans, even if I have to wait YEARS to see them be fulfilled? 
• Is Jesus enough OR do I want Jesus, plus a bunch of "stuff," and blessings and prosperity?
• Do I want Him more than anything else in this world? 

I am impatient, but wanting to trust NO MATTER WHAT, as long as it takes. The last thing I want to do is settle for less than God's best. At the same time, I want to be sure I am doing all that I am supposed to do. I need wisdom to balance persistence and perseverance with waiting and trusting during the "silent" times. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!

Psalm 100 (NIV) - A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.