God's planning..
I'm often asked 'Does God have a plan for my life?' The answer is yes. Did he decide that you will work for Sears for 25 years and get a gold watch when you retire? Maybe not that specific a plan, but could be. However, I do know that he has 'general' plans for all of us, and I believe he has specific plans for us too.
Jeremiah 1:5 says "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
(Sanctification in the heart of a Christian is progressive. It consists of becoming more like God and less attached to the world; in getting the ascendancy over evil thoughts, and passions, and impure desires; and in becoming more and more weaned from earthly objects, and attached to those things which are unseen and eternal. The word also means to consecrate, to set apart to a holy office or purpose.)
If God knew Jeremiah before he was born, it follows he knew us all before we were born.
The same idea of foreknowledge is revealed in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, 1:3-4.
“Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”
God had these plans for man, for sure. He told us to “be fertile and multiply” (that was for a man and a woman). This is soon followed by the commandment "Fill the earth and subdue it". Gen 1:28. The earth is not yet filled and subdued. There are lots of resources and there is much unused land. Not many people will want to hear this, but we were ordered to be chaste, not to sleep around and especially not to sleep with same sex partners, animals, inlaws or have other perverted sexual relationships. Before we were to become fertile and multiply, we were to marry.. one marriage was the ideal. We were told to have children (if we marry and if we can physically), children to bless us, enrich us, children to carry on God's plans.
Of course, the most important of God's plans was his plan for salvation for us, through his Son, Jesus Christ.
We should plan our own lives around the commands of our Lord. A man who would build a ship or a plane or a building even without some kind of plan would be a foolish man indeed. Yet, so many people just flop around in life, no plan, not much thought even, buffeted by any 'wind of doctrine,' influenced by all manner of evil people, evil books, evil movies, etc, giving little or no thought to the poisoning of their own souls.
If you feel like you're driving through life without a road map, you need to seek guidance and allow the Holy Spirit to show you what the plan for your life is/should be.
First, You must start by Understanding that God's major plan for you - as it is for everyone - is to bring you to a saving relationship with Jesus and transform your character to reflect Jesus' love of God and people. If you make it your top priority in life to pursue that relationship with Jesus, you will find that everything else will flow from that.
Figure out your talents and skills and pray about them; ask God how He can use you and your talents. Yes, you have talents and skills.
Read the Bible, study, think on it, be alert for the leading of the Holy Spirit. Those who are 'called' have to listen. You don't hear God's call on MTV or even Fox News or on Desperate Housewives. :)
Keep your eyes on God, surrender your will to His, wait for His peace, wait for His timing and, finally, step out in faith. Don't throw away your life on useless living when you can be in the likeness of God! :)
Php 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." That's how one tells the difference in God's plans and our plans.
Jeremiah 1:5 says "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
(Sanctification in the heart of a Christian is progressive. It consists of becoming more like God and less attached to the world; in getting the ascendancy over evil thoughts, and passions, and impure desires; and in becoming more and more weaned from earthly objects, and attached to those things which are unseen and eternal. The word also means to consecrate, to set apart to a holy office or purpose.)
If God knew Jeremiah before he was born, it follows he knew us all before we were born.
The same idea of foreknowledge is revealed in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, 1:3-4.
“Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”
God had these plans for man, for sure. He told us to “be fertile and multiply” (that was for a man and a woman). This is soon followed by the commandment "Fill the earth and subdue it". Gen 1:28. The earth is not yet filled and subdued. There are lots of resources and there is much unused land. Not many people will want to hear this, but we were ordered to be chaste, not to sleep around and especially not to sleep with same sex partners, animals, inlaws or have other perverted sexual relationships. Before we were to become fertile and multiply, we were to marry.. one marriage was the ideal. We were told to have children (if we marry and if we can physically), children to bless us, enrich us, children to carry on God's plans.
Of course, the most important of God's plans was his plan for salvation for us, through his Son, Jesus Christ.
We should plan our own lives around the commands of our Lord. A man who would build a ship or a plane or a building even without some kind of plan would be a foolish man indeed. Yet, so many people just flop around in life, no plan, not much thought even, buffeted by any 'wind of doctrine,' influenced by all manner of evil people, evil books, evil movies, etc, giving little or no thought to the poisoning of their own souls.
If you feel like you're driving through life without a road map, you need to seek guidance and allow the Holy Spirit to show you what the plan for your life is/should be.
First, You must start by Understanding that God's major plan for you - as it is for everyone - is to bring you to a saving relationship with Jesus and transform your character to reflect Jesus' love of God and people. If you make it your top priority in life to pursue that relationship with Jesus, you will find that everything else will flow from that.
Figure out your talents and skills and pray about them; ask God how He can use you and your talents. Yes, you have talents and skills.
Read the Bible, study, think on it, be alert for the leading of the Holy Spirit. Those who are 'called' have to listen. You don't hear God's call on MTV or even Fox News or on Desperate Housewives. :)
Keep your eyes on God, surrender your will to His, wait for His peace, wait for His timing and, finally, step out in faith. Don't throw away your life on useless living when you can be in the likeness of God! :)
Php 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." That's how one tells the difference in God's plans and our plans.
posted by Johnny at
11:53 PM
8 Comments:
They say God doesn't change, but his plans for us must since he's dealing with people who have a hard time getting it right sometimes.
By
Charles, at 5:13 PM
Can y0u get the wrong signals, spend your life on the wrong plan?
Rita
By
Anonymous, at 9:54 PM
You probably could, Rita. lol J/K We could spend our lives on the wrong things, yes, because we do not 'pray it through.'
By
Johnny, at 8:22 AM
Good thoughts...
By
Anonymous, at 1:22 PM
I resemble that comment Johnny. :) What about Moses. God changed the plan at the end and didn't let poor Moses go to the promised land after 120 years of living. Was that fair?
Rita
By
Anonymous, at 11:53 PM
Rita, that wasn't God's plan. God didn't "plan" for Moses to disobey him:)
It's funny in a way to talk about God's "plans" because most Christians believe God has foreknowledge of what will happen. If God already knows what I am going to do, it seems strange to talk about his "plans" that involve me acting otherwise. Maybe the word "plan" is too limited .... The word "plan" sort of implies that the planner is actually thinking the plan may come to fruition (like we are plannig a picnic, though of course, weather could interfere with that plan, in which case we have a "plan B") but if God already knows that something isn't going to happen, how can we still call it a "plan?"
Perhaps God "planned" for Adam and Eve to live out eternity in the Garden of Eden. Did he just change his "plan" according to their rebellion? Or would it be inaccurate to say that was his plan since he knew it wouldn't work out that way. Or does he actually lack foreknowledge?
By
Hopeful, at 9:24 AM
Dana,
This could get complicated. Let's see. If I plan a vacation, I get the money, buy the tickets, get special clothing, etc. The plans are made. One day before we leave, there is a tornado, and we cannot go. The plan was made but the outcome is different because something else happened to change the course. In our lives, with God plans, that 'something' is our free will. If we have any free will (I think we have limited free will), then we can affect the outcome of plans. Plans are not the actual events but what was anticipated or set into motion. God sets something into motion. If we thwart God or disobey him, then his plan was not brought to pass, not as originally envisioned. (i.e., he planned for Moses to go to the promised land, but Moses disobeyed him way down the road, and so didn't get to go, the consequences of his sin -- built into all God's plan -- not change of plan). That does not mean that he doesn't continue to direct our steps to bring about his purposes. While God himself never changes, circumstances can.
As to foreknowledge, this is how I see that. If I see a man smoke 3 packs of cigs a day, I pretty much know he will die of lung cancer or some other smoke related illness some day. God can look ahead and see but that does not mean he makes every step happen. If he did, we would have no free will at all. To me, foreknowledge means the 'liklihood' of something happening. Even if God has perfect foreknowledge, sees it all in advance exactly as it will be, that does not mean he directs it all in advance just that he sees in advance, some similarity to a psychic who sees the future but he does not direct it.
If God knows something is going to happen we could still call it a 'plan' although we have no idea what God calls it. Plan is just a human word for how God's purposes are put into play. We could call it anything.
God has foreknowledge.
By
Johnny, at 11:32 AM
Rita,
Surely you don't suggest I tell God something he did was unfair. :) God is not unfair as a just God cannot be unfair. In ALL of God's dealings with us, one thing is a given. We are to obey him. If we do not, there are consequences. So turn it around... was it fair of Moses to disobey God?
By
Johnny, at 11:33 AM
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