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. Jeremiah 29:11
Illustration
In the opening pages of his autobiography, "An American Life," Ronald Reagan writes, I was raised to believe that God had a plan for everyone and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan.
It is reassuring to know that God has a plan for each of us. His plan is always timely, though we often feel as if God moves slow. God’s plan is error proof. No power on earth or in the spiritual realm can disturb His plan for His beloved children. His plan is purposeful. He wants to give us hope and a future.
That may not sound critical, but as we struggle with this pandemic, hope has become a more important commodity than ever before. The level of mental depression and suicide have increased because people are losing hope. The hope that God offers allows us to rejoice in adversity. It gives us the courage to be fearless as we go through the valley of the shadow of death.
In today’s text, God instructed Jeremiah to remind the children of Israel who were in exile in Babylon, they would not remain in exile beyond the seventy years that was appointed for their separation from their homeland. Apparently, after living in exile for so long, the Israelites had forgotten about God’s promises to them. Thus, the Lord sent word to them that he had plans to prosper them and give them a future with hope.
When we are crushed and perplexed by the vicissitudes of life, it can be hard to think of a hopeful future. Perhaps, you or someone in your circle might be going through such a painful and difficult experience all hope seems to be fading. The Spirit of the Lord wants you to hold on and trust God. He has a plan to restore everything the locust has eaten away.
Almighty God will make every trial, setback, disappointment, health challenge or financial hardship work to our good. He has a plan to turn our trials into testimony, our burdens into blessings, and our pressures into praise. What assurance do we have that he will do those things? The death and resurrection of Jesus confirm God’s unfailing love and His amazing grace for His creation. Therefore, we can trust Him with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding. Even when we don’t know How God is going to deliver us, we need to trust that He has a plan to do so.
God does not always reveal His plans to us. That does not mean He doesn’t have a plan. In truth, I’m glad God does not tell me all His plans for my life. Otherwise, I might have sabotaged His plans then blame Him for not helping me as He said He would. That’s why faith is so important. We just have to trust God’s promises and know that He will take care of us.
God has been taking care of Humanity since the creation of time. He has dealt with every possible issue or problem humanity has faced. Therefore, we can trust that He alone has the solution for every hardship. Then we have to let go and let God as we hold true to His promises and know that He will work everything out for our good according to His plans for us.
Questions for Personal Reflection
How does knowing that God has a plan for you impact your Christian life?
How is God calling you to help people who are losing confidence in God’s plans for their lives?
Prayer- Almighty God, I pray for all those who are struggling to trust your plans for their lives. May your Spirit strengthen their faith in you and give them the courage to trust you even when things are seemingly not working according to their plans. Father, all our hope is in you. So, help us when the storm clouds of life darken our spirits and we are tempted to live by fear instead of by faith.
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