Many of you have read about the fire that destroyed my office almost two weeks ago. Needless to say, in the midst of the aftermath, I have taken great solace in the truths of Scripture! Today we are going to look at a verse that I have been greatly encouraged by and hopefully will be a verse that you can take and face each new day with.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29.11
God Knows! The first thing to be gripped by is the fact that God knows what He has in store for us. That God wants us to know that He KNOWS what is going on is seen throughout Scripture. Again and again God wants us to rest assured that He knows exactly what is going on and that He is in control of it! When we look at Scripture, the "giants" of the faith all seem to have a firm conviction that "God knows" and in control. David affirms in Psalm 139 that God knew and he took strength in it. We see this in the life of Moses; Joshua; Paul. They found encouragement in the knowledge that "God knows."
God has plans for us! This is one of the things I take a great amount of encouragement from. God has plans for me! My life is not a number of random chances! My life is not coincidences! My life is not unfolding in a happenstance way! God has a plan for me! The word "plan" means to have "Laid out thoughts." God has a thought out plan for me and my life! The things that happen to me in the course of my life happen according to God's plan. Good things. Bad things. Tough things. All things happen according to God's plan.
God plans for our welfare, not our calamity! "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for your welfare and not calamity." The word "welfare" carries the ideas of: peace, prosperity and good (of a personal nature). Plans for our best interests. God's plans are for our good. His plans are not for our calamity. Calamity equals harm (of a personal nature) evil. It is again very comforting to know that even when things are tough, God's design is for our good, never for our harm!
Knowledge of these things is to result in us having a future and a hope! In knowing God has a plan for us, for our good, we can look forward to the future. Not with grim resolve, but with thankful expectation, confidence and certainty! Hope equal Certain expectation. I believe this verse was to be a source of tremendous encouragement for God's people as they faced the trials and tribulations of life. I know that it is for me and hope it will be for you!
