Bible

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.

Jeremiah 29:11

Baldwin

I conceive of God, in fact, as a means of liberation and not a means to control others.

Blessing

During Lent we seek correction for things that stifle our faith, and one of them is misconceptions that we have about God. The worst of these misconceptions, that is often taught in Churches, is that God must somehow harm us in order to make us holy. Of course, what is bad can end up working for our good, but the Lord of host, as Scripture shows, is for and not against us. He is not abusive taking pleasure in our shame, and He does not need suffering to sanctify His people. He is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love. And He promises that His plans are good with a hope that brightens our future.

May we be blessed this Lenten season with corrected misconceptions, and see our caring Maker more clearly for Who He is.

For those wounded by abusive conceptions of God, here is a beautiful hymn to comfort and encourage you.