The prosperity gospel has distorted our understanding of God’s blessings, causing many to shy away from believing in God’s great plans. However, when we allow God to express His thoughts directly through His Word, we can trust His genuine purposes without falling into false extremes. Like salmon returning to their birthplace through challenging waters, we are called to return to our Creator with unwavering commitment, swimming against cultural currents and overcoming obstacles to fulfill our greater purpose. God’s plans operate on His perfect timeline, as demonstrated in His promise to the exiles of a 70-year captivity. This wasn’t just a waiting period but a time to build, plant, and prepare for return. Even in exile, God was working His purpose, using even enemies as tools for His divine plan. God’s thoughts toward us are thoughts of shalom - not just absence of conflict, but perfect placement of everything in life. This peace isn’t about escaping problems or finding temporary relief, but experiencing everything operating as it should, aligned with God’s perfect design. We are called to be “prisoners of hope,” bound to God’s promises like a cord that connects us to His purposes. This isn’t restrictive bondage but liberating attachment to the source of true purpose. When we willingly lock ourselves to hope and throw away the key, anxieties wash away as we discover great purpose. Discovering great purpose isn’t about aggressively laying claim to something or elbowing others out of the way. Instead, it’s about breaking down our resistance to God, yielding to His direction, and sacrificing our personal ambitions to see Him work through us.
