Five Minute Friday has moved to its new home! Same linkup in a new space. The prompt this week is … Future.
“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.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT)
The word prompt brings the verse immediately to mind, having committed it to memory some time ago. The words were written by Jeremiah and was a prophecy meant to encourage a people in exile. Through Jeremiah, God was seeking to remind the people that even when times are uncertain, God truly does have a plan.
In opening my Bible, I realized anew, it is not a plan or some plan. God says, “the plans”.
The plans.
The plan He decided upon before time began. The plan He has set in motion. The plan He is working out for each of our lives according to His will and His purposes which He ordained from before the beginning of time.
I often wish I could know the future. Will my decisions be good ones? Will my goals or hopes meet with success?
I can rest in the assurance God’s plan is good. His plan will deliver a future. A hope.
But He desires one thing from us: We are to seek Him with all our hearts:
“In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (verse 12)
God wants me to be as serious about Him as He is about me. Committed. Full out. He will not disappoint me.
In God’s time and in His plan, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love god and are called according to his purpose for them”
(Romans 8:28, NLT).
May we walk in the truth ….
God has the plan for each of our lives.
We are “never without hope when our future is with Him.”
Today I am joining …. Five Minute Friday and Faith On Fire and Faith Filled Friday and Faith ”˜N Friends and Fresh Market Friday .
Well said, Joanne!
Such an awesome thing, to know that God has a plan. As a reminder to myself, when I make my own plans, I try to say a prayer something like this: Jesus, take the good I am doing and make it into perfection.
It is a reminder that I am to work to make good plans AND that regardless of my imperfections God can always make perfect use of it.
Thank you for sharing… your neighbor at spot 28 on FMF
So grateful God’s plans are for my future and my hope . . . in Him. Well said, Joanne,
I NEEDED this today!
Lovely post, Joanne, and thank you so much for the video!
The plans are indeed God’s. Their execution is ours, but He does stand ready to help.
If only we ask.
#1 at FMF this week.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/06/your-dying-spouse-318-pain-glory-and.html
I love how you distinguished between plan and plans. I often struggle to remember which it is in this verse. But now I’ll remember! Thanks for sharing this, Joanne. Hope you have wonderful plans for the weekend. 🙂
I love knowing that God has a plan for our lives. We can rest assured that whatever comes our way he can and will deal with it. Superb post.
Thanks for the encouraging post. My life has been more joy-filled since I surrendered my worries and fears to God and embraced His plans for me.
You’re so right that since we have such a good God, we “can rest in the assurance (His) plan is good.”
I love those verses!
And I haven’t heard that song in years! It is such a beautiful and comforting song!
Thanks for sharing all this goodness!
Your neighbor at #Faith ‘n Friends Linkup.
Awesome post! That’s the verse I thought of too. I’m in the 96 spot this week.