Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an end that you hope for."
(NASB) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans of well-being and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah guided by God sends a letter to the Jewish captives in Babylon, prophesying a future restorer from God but in due time. The town was in one of the most difficult moments but God did not abandon them. Teaching them with these words that although his circumstances were difficult he had control of all things.
Above God there is no one, no matter what happens or what others say, the Lord has dominion at all times and circumstances, he has the best for each one of us ...
But this word is also for us at this time, I do not know what your situation is at this time I come to tell you that God has everything under control in your life, your family, everything that surrounds you, you just need confidence and faith in him . God never does anything by chance, nor does he make mistakes. He has a plan for each person who creates ... "The Lord will bring his action to a successful conclusion in my favor ..." Psalm 138: 8. (DHH)
We are going to see 7 very important points that we can make in this verse.
- He knows.
He talks to me a lot at this time because sometimes we do not know what we want, we do not know where we are going, we ignore many things, we ignore many things about our lives, about our future, many of us do not even have plans in mind, We do not know what to do in a situation we have, but God is not like that, He does know, He knows it very well. He has very clear what he wants to do with us, there is no shadow, He sees it clearly.
Ezekiel 37: a vision is narrated that God showed the prophet on a great valley full of dry bones, the bible says that God told the prophet "these bones will live and the prophet says, Lord you know".
We all have plans, but those are God's plans, that is what God wants for us, many of those plans are dark. Many of the plans that we have see them as if by a dark glass, we see it difficult, because they are our plans. Sometimes we see our lives through a glass to weld, everything dark.
Eg like the glasses used by welders. We can only see through them when the arch is made, when that flash of light comes out, likewise in your life and my life we begin to see clearly when the light of the gospel of Christ, when its light illuminates us and we can see the way , but it is necessary that his light shine in our life.
But God's plans for our lives, although at the beginning we do not understand them, we know that if God has said he will do it, because his plans are not mine. And he knows exactly what he is doing.
The design with which He made us is carefully accommodated to that purpose He has.
He knows what he is doing in your life, in your family, He knows it very well, do not believe that God is improvising, He knows what He is doing.
Eg Like when we children tell our parents something or someone more experienced than us and what they tell us? Do not teach your father to make children or I know what I am doing, of course God does not tell us exactly that, but we believe that He knows what He is doing. He has experience in this matter. He has an eternity of experience, he has managed and directed many men and women throughout history, he will not do it with us, he has experience in this, he knows what he does.
2. God has plans, as we have you and me.
Definition of plan. It is an ordered model that is elaborated before performing an action, with the aim of directing and channeling it. In this sense, a plan is also a document that specifies the necessary details to carry out a work. In fact, every plan will take the form of a written document in which said idea is expressed together with the goals, strategies, tactics, guidelines and policies to be followed in time and space, as well as the instruments, mechanisms and actions that will be used to achieve the proposed purposes and that were the motivation of the plan.
Church, what is the scripture in which God has made the plans for us? The bible, in it we find all the plans that he has for us, in it he has written carefully, in detail the plan for his life, you just have to believe it, study it, meditate on it, appropriate it, it is for you, for me, it is his word where his plan for my life is written, for his life, is alive, dynamic and is for us.
Note that plans are in the plural, not in the singular, so we can conclude that we are talking about several plans, many plans, we could say that in each area of our lives God has a plan and all those plans are included in the precious gift of Salvation, in that package is that He has the plans for you and me. There are economic, ministerial, family, social plans. Etc.
By saying that He has plans we conclude that He thinks of us, we occupy part of God's thought, He thinks of you and me. When we make plans for our life or children or whatever, we spend it elaborating that plan and meditate on Him, as we are going to do.
This is God, I imagine God meditating on the plans for each of us and saying good, with this I am going to do this, I have given all these talents and abilities and it is useful for this and this and there is God thinking of each one of us, he thinks more about me and you than we think about him, he has prepared an elaborate plan, designed by himself.
- The plans are of Him and He will make all the provision for them to be realized.
Do not worry, it's your plans, like when we parents make plans for our children, with my daughter who is not born I have plans for her, and she will be able to rest because the plans I have made for her are mine and I will see how I make them , she does not have to do anything.
Eye are his plans, only He knows how he will do them, in what way he will do it. Illustration: the life of Joseph.
- God does not create anything useless, everything has meaning and utility.
Listen to this, God does not create anything to create, everything created has a purpose, has a reason for being and that same nature is implanted in human beings, if we see around us almost everything that man has created has its function, He has his reason for having been invented, everything, and that is exactly what God is. Bye that the vision when creating something is that that created serves for something, the one that creates something is seeing that what it is creating is going to fulfill a function. We see it in the following inventions:
The inventor of the bulb.
Of the telephone.
Of the automobile.
By saying that he has a plan for us, he clearly shows that we are capable of doing that task, he knows that we are potentially equipped to do it, he created us and he knows how he did it. He knows that we are useful.
5. He has designed a whole strategy for us to fulfill those plans.
Like each one of us when we make plans we elaborate a series of strategies and we say that and we will do it, starting from that day we started, it is on this side and with God it is the same he has designed a path, a route for that we go for it and through it take us to fulfill that wonderful plan, it uses people, of circumstances to do it. (Exodus 13: 20-22).
God's desire is to guide his people, to guide you and me to the place prepared for us, when the people of God went through the desert led them with a pillar of fire in the night and a cloud of day, and the people it moved to the movement of God. And it's not just for that time, now God wants to do the same.
"Teach me to do your will, because you are my God; Your good Spirit lead me on level ground". Psalm 143: 10
- It leads me to rest and trust in Him.
When I understand and believe that God has designed a plan for my life, that I am not here by chance of life, when I believe that God made me a useful person, that I have abilities, when I understand this I am simply going to rest, it is only a question of time so that everything he has said is fulfilled.
"Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and do not lean on your own prudence. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will straighten your paths. Do not be wise in your own opinion; fear the Lord, and depart from evil; for it will be medicine to your body, and refreshing for your bones "Proverbs 3: 5-8 ...
Knowing that He has a plan should stimulate me:
A plan always produces enthusiasm, there is nothing more satisfying than having a clear purpose in the simple fact of getting out of bed will become a joyful motive in my life, and not a hard load to start the new day, therefore the true happiness is based on being used by God for a supreme purpose, leaving aside the complaints and false happiness offered by the closest environment.
Knowing that he has a plan should focus my life:
This makes you direct all your effort and energy to what you become an effective person when you select and focus your purposes. When there is no clear project, you will continue to change direction, work, relationships, community and even religion, hoping that each change can resolve the confusion or fill the void in your heart and then think: "This time it may be different " Ephesians 4:17 tells us: "That, then, is what I tell you and I charge you in the name of the Lord; that they no longer live more like pagans, who live according to their useless thoughts. " (DHH)
Conclusion:
If you have been walking outside of God's purpose, if maybe you have been making your plans, you have been walking doing what seems good to you this is the day for you to say, Lord, although now I do not understand, although now I do not know what is your plan for me, today I surrender to you, I surrender my life so that you are fulfilling those plans for me, so that I can do what you have prepared for me.