“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)
Do you feel frustrated when you make plans that don’t come to fruition?
I remember several years ago, I had planned for my second trip to Israel. My first trip was quite successful and I loved the experience. I had spent months preparing for another group trip that was going to extend my understanding of the place where Jesus walked. When I realized I could not make the trip, I was very disappointed. I finally came to the conclusion that sometime, the best-laid plans do not always work out the way we want them to.
The group traveled without me, but the organizer had to put a lot of hard work into cancelling reservations and the searching for someone to replace me. I had a good reason for the cancellation, but nonetheless, I had disrupted a well put-together plan and caused the organizer to go to a secondary plan.
I can only imagine how God feels when we veer off the course he has designed for us. We get a glimpse of his ability to remain committed to us even when we deviate from what he had in mind. Sometimes we go off course because we don’t know what his plan is for our lives. Of course, there are other times when we feel that we know best. Such is the case with Judah; they thought they had a better plan, but their plan caused them to go into captivity. God was saying to them, and to us, no matter how far you have strayed from my plan, all is not lost… there is hope.
When we pray to God and ask for his direction, we find hope. When we pray and ask God to lead and guide our future, we can remain steadfast. Hope can sustain us and keep us looking up when we cannot see the next step.
Prayer Point: Ask God to reveal his plan for your life. We are connected to one another and sometimes we find out through prayer how God wants to bless us through our relationships. He has a future for each of us.
God bless you!
