Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Hope and a Future" for Tuesday, 10 June 2014 - Read Jeremiah 29:11-13

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Hope and a Future" for Tuesday, 10 June 2014 - Read Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future. 12 You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans . . . to give you hope and a future.”
(Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV))
For many years, I worked with lost and troubled youth in a juvenile detention facility. I often prayed that I would be able to plant a seed in these young people that would eventually bear fruit in their lives. A number of years after I retired, I received a letter from a young woman with whom I had worked more than 10 years before. She thanked me for caring about her at a difficult time in her life, and she wanted to let me know about her life today. She was happily married with two children, living a faith-filled Christian life, working as an advocate at an AIDS clinic, and attending college. Later we met up, and in the course of our conversation, I asked her how she had come so far when many in similar circumstances had not made positive changes in their lives. She answered simply, “I found God.” At a turning point in her life, she had prayed for guidance and was blessed with a path when she came across this verse: “You make known to me the path of life” (Ps. 16:11). Today, her faith, the word of God, her Christian husband, and her church encourage her to lead a fruitful life. When I met that confused young girl many years ago, only God could know that one day she would inspire me to persevere on God’s path.
The Author: Dorothy Haverbusch (Ohio, USA)
Thought for the Day: How can I help lead someone to God’s path today?
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for guidance when we most need it, and thank you also for the courage to follow that guidance. Amen.

Prayer focus: Those who work with troubled youth
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