“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
This
is part of the letter the prophet Jeremiah sent to the elders, priests,
prophets and other people of Israel Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had carried
off into exile. God was mindful of their
dilemma and had a message of encouragement for them. Christians today take solace in these words
when their future looks dim. God has a
general will which is to preach the gospel throughout the world as led by the
Holy Spirit and a personal, very specific will for each individual based on the
gifts He has given that person. God’s plan
for the Israelites was to return to Jerusalem.
His plan for you may be to move to an urban setting and minister to
homeless people in the streets or move to the country and minister to those in
a certain region. It may even be to
learn and new language and go to a foreign land as a missionary. God knows and is more than willing to impart
that knowledge to us if we are willing.
The
plans that God has for us will never harm us but will be only for our benefit
and ultimate good. Our prosperity is not
linked to financial gain, but rather to our spiritual maturity. It is God’s
will that we prosper even as our soul prospers (3 John 1:2). Financial gain is unimportant to the Lord as
it should be to us. If God truly is our
provider and sustainer than what do we have to be concerned about? The answer is easy: nothing. Try telling that to our human nature who wants
to fret about each and every issue that arises.
God understands and will teach us to let it go if we let Him.
It is time that
the body of Christ fully embraced the Lord as our hope both now and in the
years to come, for it is only through Christ that we find the mercy, grace and
peace of God. Until next time, walk with
the King and be a blessing!
