My Life Verse

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In recent years, I’ve heard many people refer to having a “life verse,” or a special verse in the Bible that has particular meaning to them. A life verse isn’t much different than anything else; because we’re human, if someone has something, we have a tendency to think we should have it too, but I’m of the opinion that a life verse chooses you rather than the other way around. This rather random thought came to me this week while studying the background for the Sunday school lesson because my life verse is Jeremiah 29:11. This verse found me long before I went looking for it or even thought deeply about adopting it as a verse to represent my life. Honestly, I wasn’t aware of the context of the verse at the time it was given to me in 1987, and I didn’t dwell much on the verse itself in any way but to think what a nice thought it was. In case you’re not familiar with the verse, it reads, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (NASB). After receiving the verse, I casually placed it beside my bed where I saw it upon going to sleep at night and waking each morning, and before I knew it, I had memorized the verse without even trying. Little did I know that very soon that verse would have a lot greater meaning for me as I experienced a testing of both my faith and also the idea that God is sovereign; someone very close to me developed cancer, struggled through two years of treatments, remissions, and relapse, and subsequently died. Even though I wouldn’t wish to live that time over, I did learn that even when life seems calamitous, God’s long-term plans for me are good. During that time, I began to search the Word looking for answers that I couldn’t find anywhere else, but instead of the answers I sought, I discovered the character and sovereignty and power of God. I saw his love and mercy for his children as I read through the book of Jeremiah. I saw that even when God’s chosen ones totally rejected him, followed after other gods, and were carried off into captivity, his plans were for them to cry out to him for salvation (vs. 12). I learned that when I seek God with all of my heart  he will let me find him (vs. 13). The lessons of that time culminated in a gift that I couldn’t have fathomed at the time—my precious husband and children, whom I would not have had all of my prayers been answered the way I wanted at the time. God is so much more than one verse of the Bible, but my life verse helps me remember that whatever comes my way, and no matter how I feel about it at the time, God has my back and my future.

Comments

  1. His JulesJuly 26, 2011 at 4:04 PM

    Wow Kelly!!! I literally stumbled upon your blog today and may I say I have been captivated for the past hour? You have a gift with God's Word and I love reading your perspective and what He is saying to you. I dont blog but I am an avid blog reader and Bible study is my favorite thing so yours is really a blessing. Thanks for sharing and for being obedient to the call that God has placed on your life - you are an excellent teacher, for you taught me today!

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