I know the plans I have for you
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6
- “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and He will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3
- “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
- “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21
- “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. “Psalms 32:8
- “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
- “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21
- “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. “Psalms 32:8
- “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
- Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
- “But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever, His intentions can never be shaken.” Psalm 33:11
Wow! It is amazing that our God promises to guide our path wherever we go. All we are called to do is TRUST that His plans are not there to harm us, but to give us hope and a future. But the reality is that it’s easier said than done. I sometimes wish that I had a magical button where I can just press “trust God” and wait on Him. But it doesn’t work that way; trust is developed in time through a daily relationship with God. It takes time and that’s what the Lord is doing in us as we are waiting for Him to reveal His will for our life. He wants total dependence, surrender and for us to yield to His perfect and glorious will. Because He loves us and wants the very best, He will often make us wait. He wants to prepare us to fulfill and accomplish that calling, that ministry, those deeds and those acts that will bring glory to His name.
During this process, we tend to get anxious and doubtful of His promises, because we don’t see the end result. In times like this it’s important to remember that His Word holds true, “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does” (Psalms 33:4) and that God’s way of getting us where He desires are very distinct from the path that we would choose, ” For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord; As the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) We need to live in faith trusting that God has everything planned out and ready for us and just because we don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not true, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Though we don’t often have God’s “year plan” available or His long-term direction, though your life may be contradicting His revelation; know that He has it under control. He has bigger and greater things than what you may be aiming for. He knows what you need and what’s best for your future,” 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)
Know that you are not alone I am being molded and shaped to fulfilled God’s plan for my life and we can see various stories in the Bible where this also holds true. Like the shepherd David who was anointed in his teens to be King of Israel, “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.”(1 Samuel 16:13). Little did He know that it would take years of preparation and trials for Him to finally fulfill God’s will and purpose for His life. God used those years shepherding and those years persecuted by the former King Saul to prepare Him to be a great King. Or the story of Hadassah commonly known as Esther; Hadassah was an orphan girl who’s cousin Mordecai, Jew, adopted. Without her even knowing God was preparing the way for her to fulfill his will for her life, to rescue the Jews from being killed. He led her to live with Mordecai so she could be close and available as a potential wife for King Xerxes and intercede for the Jews. But all this took years and years before it finally happened. Years being fed by the word of God and being molded into the image of Jesus in Mordecai’s home, that one year being dolled up in with incense and mire with the eunuch before meeting the king and all the years in the kingdom before God raised her up to intercede.
Or take the story of Miriam (Moses and Aaron’s sister) who as a child hid in the bushes to see what would happen to her brother Moses, as he was left in the river bed and had the drive to intercede for him with the Pharaoh’s daughter. God saw the potential in her and used her as a child and yet the next time she is mentioned in the bible she is a prophet, “Then Miriam the prophet, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.” (Exodus 15:20) Do you think that God immediately was able to speak through Miriam’s lips? Not at all, those gifts God blessed her with were developed in time. J. Lee Grady says the following in his book Intrepid Woman of the Bible about Miriam’s story; it took a lot of years and a lot of lessons for God to shape Miriam into a prophet. “God prepares his leaders in secret, when nobody sees them. Maybe you feel like in a place of incognito and you question if someday God will lead you to an effective ministry. You won’t be in the preparation phase forever. Have the security that the Sovereign God knows exactly where you are and He will exalt you in due time.”
Isn’t it encouraging that if God did that for them, He will certainly do it for all of us?! If it wasn’t for that season of preparation none of them would have had the tools to fulfill God’s will. Whether you are in that season of molding or you are beginning to see God’s plan unfold; know that God’s plans for you are not just good, they are GREAT, and for this very reason He has taken His perfect time to accomplish that what you were called to do before you were even born, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I sanctified you” (Jeremiah 1:5). So do not fret or worry, instead come before the Almighty God and present your desire for Him to guide and prepare you for His plans. Rest in the truth of the verses above and know that He is taking care of all the little details even though you may not see.
But most importantly remember that God’s ultimate will for your life is to have a relationship with Him and whichever thing He has you do is not for your personal glory but for HIS, “ Our personal agenda as He has us work for the Kingdom of God is not to satisfy ourselves with gladness and boasting about what we are doing for God, but to glory in the cross of Jesus, develop a meaningful relationship with Him, and give Him all glory and majesty for everything, for every act, every deed, every work we are doing. We are anointed to serve the Lord with gladness, never serving ourselves because of His immeasurable grace.” (Thelma Wells)
Application:
- Plan a personal retreat: Take a day or two to unwind from the daily distractions and be intimate with JESUS. Ask Him to reveal His will for your life. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NIV)
- Obey God’s known will to you, His commandments.
- Be faithful with the gifts and the opportunities He has already given you and to Him the glory.
- Memorize scripture: Choose any of the scriptures above or any other that expresses His promise to you.
Related Resources:
- I will lift the veil by Sheri Rose Shepard
- Commands and callings by David Platt
- Waiting and being still by Nathalia Vega
- God asks on our behalf by Charles Stanley