God's Plan

Have you ever asked these questions, “God, what do you want from me?” or “God, what do you want me to do?” Most of us have asked at least one of these at some time.

Jeremiah, the prophet God sent to Judah, explained that because of their failure to follow Him, their land would be taken away and the people would be exiled to Babylon. This is not a message anyone would want to hear. The people of Judah beat Jeremiah for this message. But the message does not end with Judah remaining captive forever, it was a seventy-year captivity. In Jeremiah 29, God reassured Israel that His actions were all part of His plan to restore the nation.

Jeremiah 29:11-14:

“For know what I have planned for you, says the Lord. I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope. When you call out to me and come to me in prayer, I will hear your prayers. When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, I will make myself available to you, says the Lord. Then I will reverse your plight …”

To correlate this to us today, the message is to God’s people - the Church. If we are not following the Lord 100%, then we need to understand that God will chastise to the point of destruction or elimination. To avoid God’s chastisement, we must teach the whole of God’s Word against evil and sin, teach that God is sovereign, work within His plans, and live a life within His ordinances and rules.

In Luke 12:22-32, Jesus teaches us to not worry or dwell on the worldly physical essentials but to focus and be completely dependent on God. When we follow Him, call out to Him, read His word, mediate on His desires of how we should live, build our relationship with Him, only then will He answer all our “What” questions.