God's Plan
What am I supposed to do with my life? What job should I be doing? Am I doing the right thing for my family, friends and me?
These are all questions we have or have had throughout our
lives. Sometimes we feel we have the answers, but most times those answers are
elusive.
We tend to try to do things first our way. Why not? We know
ourselves better than anyone else does and we should be able to figure everything
out. As most of us have found, that does not work so well over the long haul.
As we become wiser, we look to others to give us hints or
detailed advice. This can come from conversations with family, friends and
associates or from lectures, books and videos. Some of that advice is excellent
and some of it is terrible.
The problem is, how do you know what is exactly right for you?
Who can you talk to who knows you so well their advice is never wrong for you
and is perfect for the future?
How about God? He not only wrote a book; He also wants you to
converse with Him. On top of that, He has a plan for you. How do I know this?
It says it in His book.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’
declares the Lord, ‘plans
for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Many
people are familiar with this verse as it is used – and sometimes overused – to
show God has a plan for us. However, most people stop here and do not read further.
Indeed, many pastors do not preach any further which is truly a shame.
The
reason you must read further is it answers the question of HOW we are to find
out what those plans are. It is all well and good that God has plans for us,
but if we do not know what those plans are then we will go down the wrong path
over and over.
The
HOW is found in the next three verses.
“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and
I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when
you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:12-14a)
Seek the Lord first with your whole heart (echoing the
command of loving God with your “all your heart, all your heart and all your strength”
- Deuteronomy 6:5). The more you
search for Him the clearer His plan for you will be.
While the context of the passage is directed to the Jews
heading to their exile in Babylon who could not understand why God was allowing
them to be defeated by the Babylonians, this passage is applicable to anyone at
any time. We all wonder what will become
of us. God says look for Him with all your heart and He will tell you.
Implicit in this promise is whatever His plan for you is
contentment. This is extremely important since God’s immediate plans for you
might involve a lot of trial and hardship in the here and now. His plan for you
might involve going through deprivation and persecution. After all, His plan
for the Jews was to be defeated and exiled for 70 years away from their beloved
Jerusalem – not exactly what one normally thinks of as “plans for welfare
and not for calamity” from verse 11.
This is why we must always remember God is eternal even
though He is very much active in what we do day to day. His wonderful plans for
us are always a part of His overall plan for creation and the ultimate eradication
of evil. To that end, some of us must go through hardship or worse in order for
His glorious plan to come to fruition. What allows us to go through these
trials with fortitude is knowing God’s plan – both His eternal plan and His
plan for us – and having peace with it.
Do not think you must go through adversity to be in His plan.
Often, His plan for you will be a very peaceful one in comparison to the
martyrs. Regardless of what plan He has for you, it is your responsibility to continually
seek Him to make sure you stay in His plan. You never know when His plan for
you may require you to adjust your direction.
No matter His plan for you – rejoice! It is for His glory. We
are invited to be part of His plan and be with Him forever.
Your words, that is... God's words... are so very true and give me much retrospective on my own life and how things have changed since the Lord found me and realized I needed Him and His all powerful, overwhelming love. My life has not been all I have wished for, but it is all He wants for me and I, though stressed very often, find that some of it is brought on by my own means, mouth and actions. Having faith is not an easy task, but it is the only route we have. And, we must use all our heart and soul to keep that faith in the forefront of our thoughts, no matter which path we happen to be on, each day. Some days, that path may lead to heart ache and other days to happiness ... or even a tranquility that we don't even recognize. But, it is God's gift, no matter what path we are on. Focus on God and His Awesome Son, Jesus Christ. Make him a part of your day, whether it be just a morning prayer or if you talk with Him all day, as you go about your business. When I was out of work and collecting scrap metal, just to squeak by, I found myself talking to the Lord every day and thanking Him for each pound of scrap I could gather. It was because of Him, that I found plenty. But, along came "man", with his rules and un-fair laws. No more scrapping. No more income. So, I prayed. I didn't find the money I needed, but I did find comfort in doing something that I was pretty good at... singing and recording. I found joy and happiness, in the midst of my poverty. Then, after seven years ( after we lost our home and had to move into a worn out old motor home ) we finally found a warm apartment. Even though the apartment costs more than we can really afford, as we are still barely getting by each month, I have not lost my faith, because I know that God loves me and mine. And, I am trusting in His plan for me, not knowing what is to be tomorrow or down the road.... and it gives me the strength I need to make it through another day.
ReplyDeleteGod wants us to persevere in the faith through good and bad. Our reward will be so worth it.
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