God Has A Plan
God Has A Plan
Many of us have heard or quoted:
"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 NIV.
There is much more to this promise. But, first, there's God's plan, and then our part.
When we look at Jeremiah 29:11-14, it is easy to point to Israel as an entire country in ancient times and decide it doesn't apply to me.
Not so.
In those days, Israel sinned by allowing neighboring countries to bring idols to its soil and building temples to worship them and their depraved practices. Today, the sin or idols are the same even though the historical dates and the names may differ. So let's consider what things we have as potential idols in our lives. First, an idol is anything that gets in the way of the only two commands that Jesus gave us: Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.
These two commands are our plumb line, the standard with which we need to judge thoughts and actions in our lives.
Let's start with any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion. Clothes, money, accomplishment, position, weight, outward appearance, the addictions in our lives, smartphones, the web, sports, entertainment, religion, rules, and on the list goes. Some of these things in and of themselves are not bad; It is when we allow them to get in the way of "loving God with all our heart, mind, and soul and loving our neighbor as ourselves."
When we let those things get between us and our relationship, time, and passion with and for God is where the problem begins.
Is there one of several technology games more important than the neighbor that needs a hand or the coworker that could use your heart and compassion? Do sports games, soap operas, or TV shows stop you from the kind of family time that has you interacting with one another? Did you party so hard at night that getting up for the church as a family is not an option? What about affairs?
We all fall short and have since Adam and Eve ate the apple. It wasn't the apple that was a problem; they wanted more than God allowed. He knew the consequences of both trees. The apple tree would cause them never to be satisfied. The second tree would allow them to live forever and eliminate the path of Jesus sacrificing His life for us to be able to come home. Over the centuries, God has brought circumstances into people's lives to help them to look to Him for their direction. In Jeremiah's time, it was the Babylonian invasions.
"This is God's Word on the subject: As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before."
Jeremiah 29:10 MSG
God knew what it would take for them to return to Him and His plan for their lives. He knew that their lust for idols and subsequent immorality would destroy them as a nation and a people. He loved them, and He loved us, all of us, too much to allow them to destroy the very nation He was going to use to be the vehicle to bring salvation to all humanity. The first time Babylon invaded Judah, it took King Nebuchadnezzar captive, along with the brightest and most faithful young men from all Judah's cities. The captives included Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego). Babylon took the faithful and unfaithful alike. You see, God was at work with the people. He sent along those who could be an example and lead the way back into the right relationship with God under His protection.
He would not violate their freedom to choose, but He would give them ways to get back on track. He had His faithful living among them, guiding them and making an impact on the leaders that were ruling over them. Daniel found favor with the rulers and was trusted. He was faithful and true to God and what God had called him to do. "Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and as a result, he loved his neighbor and those God put in his path." He was changing their world.
"I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."
Jeremiah 29:11 MSG
God left a remnant of the Jewish nation in Judah. They knew why the Babylonians succeeded and the price their sin caused. They knew God had removed his favor from them because of their idols. They knew they had a second chance. But, once again, their lusts stood between them and God.
The price was severe.
A price as a nation they would never forget. It cost them everything. Everything in their country was destroyed, burned to the ground, and demolished. They were in exile for the entire 70 years. Then, during Judah's exile, the people returned to God with all their hearts, minds, and souls. God had been preparing them. He was training some to be leaders, some to be followers, to be a people ready and able to fulfill God's plans for their lives.
"Plans to prosper them and not to harm them." But there was a key for them and us:
"When you call on me when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed."
Jeremiah 29:12-13 MSG
When we call on God, we come and pray to Him; He will listen. When we look for Him, we will find Him. As we get serious about finding Him and "want it, want Him more than anything else," our heart is changed; not just our mind or emotions, but our heart and our will. We will then get to know His plans. As we earnestly seek God, our minds, intentions, emotions, lusts, and addictions are all put under the control of God, covered with the righteousness of Jesus. We surrender our will to the will of God.
"Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbors as yourself."
"Then we will come to know His plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future… "I'll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you"—God's Decree—"bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it."
Jeremiah 29:14 (MSG)
Isn't it time to come home?
If so, are you willing today to do your part in your relationship with God so that you hear that He has a plan for your life, a plan to prosper you and not harm you, a plan to give you hope and a future?