prosperity

As I work through my Advent reading plan I've thought more than once of a term that is used throughout our grandkids' story Bible: "God's Great Rescue Plan."

This morning, I was struck by the fact that God has more than just a rescue plan in mind. In Jeremiah 29:10-11 I read this: "This is what the Lord says: 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

In addition to the great rescue that we focus on during Advent, God also has a Great Prosperity Plan. Even though just seeing me safe would be grace aplenty, God wants me to have an abundant life, not just a subsistence-level existence.

Every once in awhile we read of a convict being pardoned. He did the crime, but he won't have to do the time because the government forgave him. But what if, after that, the government also gave him a nice house, a new car, a high-paying job, and seeded his savings account with thousands of dollars? That would be amazing grace.

God's amazing grace is far greater. He adopts us, makes us his own, and never stops caring for us. God's plans, for rescue and prosperity, are to give us