GOD'S ULTIMATE PLAN IN MY LIFE

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." God encouraged the nation of Israel in the above verse when their city was about to be destroyed by the Babylonian Empire and be taken out of their land as slaves to Babylon. It was difficult for many Israelites to understand God's wonderful plan in their lives when they were about to be conquered by their enemies. God told them that they would be enslaved in Babylon for 70 years, then they would come back to their land and rebuild it. God's plan for them was to become a nation that would worship and serve Him alone, because by worshipping and serving Him alone, they would have hope that lasts forever and enjoy a wonderful future as a nation. For God to accomplish His good plans for them, God must cleanse them from serving and worshipping idols. God used the Babylonian Empire to discipline them for their idolatry. In other words, God's plan for them is to allow them to go through a disaster as a means to give them hope and a future as a nation. When the nation of Israel returned to their land after being slaves in Babylon for 70 years, they became a nation that only worshipped God. 

God's plan in our lives does not mean that we will avoid suffering. When we think of God's plan in our lives, we often think of blessings and a prosperous life. However, God's ultimate plan for us is to be with Him forever. Jesus said these words in John 14:3, "When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am." God's ultimate plan for us is not of this world in which we live, but it is more than what we can experience in this world. The very contentment of life that we are seeking cannot be completely experienced in this world, for this world is only temporary. We may go through a disaster, but that is not the end of us. We may lose our loved ones, but there is hope for us who genuinely believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. God's ultimate plan for us is to be with Him, but while we are still living in this world, God wants us to live by worshipping, serving, and obeying Him in all that we do. God guides us through this life to accomplish His wonderful plan in our lives. 

God has so much to teach and show us about Himself in our lives. He indeed has a wonderful plan for us. We may go through loss and disaster, but God's wonderful plan for us will continue to prevail; as a result, our hope and future are always secure in Him.

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is the ultimate plan of God in my life? How should I live every day as I wait for God to fulfill His ultimate plan in my life? What did God teach or remind me through today's devotion?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for having a wonderful plan for my life. I praise you that my hope and future are secure in you, regardless of the situation I am currently in. Please help me to trust you completely and rest in your sovereign plan. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.