Jer. 29:11 (NLT) – For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

In this passage the Lord is talking about bringing the nation of Israel out of captivity and back to their homeland, but considering what is going on in the Gulf Coast recently it rings true for us as well. A lot of people in the south are wondering if their future has any hope.

Given my position as the business manager my mind tends to think about the financial consequences of disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Unless you have family in the Gulf Coast, many of you probably think the same way. It’s hard not to think that way being hundreds of miles from the scene of the disaster. The biggest way it has affected most of us is at the gas pump and, consequently, in our wallet. It will probably have lasting effects on our national economy as well.

It’s often that I fall into the trap of framing my faith in terms of my checkbook. If fuel prices keep increasing, then it will cause other things to be more expensive. How will I keep my budget in line? The Lord told Jeremiah (and each person who reads this passage) He has a plan for us. It is not some ambiguous plan because it is a plan He created and knows in detail. Not only that, but it is a plan specifically designed for each person. What an amazing thought! It’s not just a “direction” it is a plan -- a thought out series of events that are for our good. A “master design” by the Master. A future full of hope for all believers.

No hurricane in the Gulf or in your life can change the “master plan”. Sometimes those storms are part of the plan, but rest assured that in spite of the storms, we have a future and a hope when we follow the Master’s plan.

Keith Bales