Jeremiah 29:11 NIV, “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.”
God is lighting a fire in the heart of these kids as we are almost to the end of YES Camp at Christian Family Fellowship in Tipp City, Ohio! This is the 21st annual YES Camp presented by Christian Family Fellowship, and we have just about 100 total participants this year including staff. Being around the young people participating in this special time together, we can’t help but be reminded of the importance of youthfulness. Our theme verse for this camp is from Jeremiah 29:11. One aspect of youthfulness in our lives as believers is a positive expectancy of the future. We all still have a future, and God plans to prosper and give each of us hope. Jesus taught that we are to maintain the heart of a child (Matthew 18:1-5), and we can continue to approach God and His Word with a fresh perspective, living in newness of life.
These young people at camp are still discovering who they are. They are developing goals and getting clarity on their dreams and God’s plans for them. What plans does God still have for you? What is still unfolding in your personal life and in service to God? God has never given up on you. Let’s all maintain hope and pray over tomorrow and the year to come. The epistles of 1 and 2 Thessalonians show us how our hope effects our behavior today. Part of the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 is that God will give us hope and a future. This promise can ultimately be recognized through the revelation of the letters to the Thessalonian church concerning the great return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider reading these two letters to the Thessalonians, and enjoy the pictographs below that describe the flow and teaching found in these important books of the New Testament.