God's Plans for Your Marriage: Finding Hope and a Future Together

Introduction

• Brian poses the question: Do you know the plans for your future?
• Introducing Jeremiah 29:11 as the source of knowing God's plans.
• Welcome back to Love How Deep.
• Excitement for the episode.

Jeremiah 29:11

• Reading of Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
• The comfort in knowing God has a plan, even when we don't.
• Brian's personal struggle with future anxiety.
• Heather's experience with students constantly asking "What's next?"

"Declares the Lord"

• The significance of "declares" – it's a confident and certain statement from God.
• Having confidence in God's promises.

"Plans to Prosper You"

• Prosper meaning to succeed, get ahead, move forward, flourish.
• Connecting this to Isaiah 43:18-19 (forgetting the former, doing a new thing).
• Prospering is future-oriented.
• Caution against equating "prosper" solely with financial wealth.
• Matthew 6:33 – seeking God's kingdom first.
• True prospering is in God's hands and aligns with His will.
• Asking God for desires, but relying on Him for the "how."

The Quilt Analogy

• The beautiful, intricate top of the quilt representing God's perspective of our lives.
• The messy underside representing our limited perspective and perceived flaws.
• God seeing the whole picture and using our struggles for our growth.

"Plans Not to Harm You"

• The tendency to blame God when difficult things happen.
• God's intentions are for our good, even when we can't see it.
• The analogy of running in a forest and encountering "poison ivy" – potential for future help.

A Moment of Levity

• Butterscotch the cat's cameo and the joys of pet ownership during recording.

"Plans to Give You a Hope and a Future"

• God's promise of hope and a future.
• Differentiating worldly hope (uncertain desire) from biblical hope (assured expectation).
• Biblical hope as an expectation rooted in God's promises.
• Alignment with God's will leading to the fulfillment of His plans.
• Expecting God to take care of you.

Conclusion

• Encouragement that Jeremiah 29:11 provides positivity for marriage.
• Urging couples facing difficulties to look at this passage.
• Even in tough times, God's plan includes prosperity, no harm, and a hope and future.
• Peace and comfort found in this verse.

Call to Action

• Reminder of the resources available on lovehowdeep.com.
• Thanking listeners for tuning in.
• Closing remarks and farewell.