| “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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” |
| —Jeremiah 29:11-13 |
Whether we’re on the front line of a battle about to face a brutal enemy, or sitting in a conference room at the corporate headquarters of a fast food chain planning a new menu item, or gathered at the base of a radio transmitting tower where we’re about to install a new antenna, we want to know what the plan is for this endeavor.
Unless we’re completely foolhardy, we want to know that someone has carefully studied all aspects of the task that lies ahead. We want that person or persons to have taken all the information available, considered the risks, gathered the necessary tools, and written a careful step-by-step plan that will virtually guarantee success.
You must have heard the old saying: “If you fail to plan, then you’ve planned to fail.” Is that trite, or is it true? I can recount many stories of the best intentions gone wrong because the people involved did not have a proper plan.
The need for a plan applies to our lives as well. In order to stay on the path that God has laid out before us, we need a plan. But, if we rely on our own resources, we cannot possibly create a proper plan for our pathway in life because we do not know everything we need to know about our own lives. There is only one person who knows everything and can write that plan.
The Prophet Jeremiah recognized how important this was and gave the people in his charge these words of encouragement directly from God, as found in Jeremiah 29:11-13:
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.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Whew! We have a plan! And, that plan comes from the God who loves us with His everlasting love. He has written that plan in His own hand. He has placed that plan in our hands through His written Word, the Bible. He has given us a Guide to help us execute His plan through the person of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within everyone who believes.
Let’s boldly take on this day, knowing that God has a perfect plan for us. We can move out into the world with confidence. God has a plan for us. His plan will not harm us. He will prosper us and give us hope and a future. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, June 5, 2017
