God has Plans for You

It’s never too late to seek out God’s plan for your life! Denise Gustafson tells how she gained God’s peace in a trying time and found herself journeying in new directions when she sought to follow the Lord. She also shares her love for the Old Testament prophets and her assurance of God’s providence and care.

Denise Gustafson recently retired from teaching scripture for the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary Lay Division in Denver. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a teaching credential from California State University, Fullerton. She spent more than ten years teaching in Catholic schools before obtaining her master’s degree in biblical theology from the Augustine Institute. Her contributions to the Living the Word Catholic Women’s Bible reflect her deep interest in the Old Testament prophets, as do posts she has written for the seminary’s blog.

Take Denise's Favorite Scripture to Your Next Holy Hour

Pray: Come, Holy Spirit, open my heart and mind to hear your word today. 

Read the Word: Jeremiah 29:10–14a

(Read it in your own Bible to get the context, and so you can make notes)

“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord….”

Ponder the Word: Read the passage several times, lingering where it touches your heart. What catches your attention? What do you hear the Lord saying to you? 

Pray with the Word: Bring to the Lord what you have heard and talk to him about it. Ask for his grace. Thank him for his loving care.

Live the Word: How does what you read touch your life? What can you do this week to put it into practice?