God’s Got a P.L.A.N.
Jeremiah 29:1-11
Introduction:
Life does not always turn out as we plan it.
Have you ever heard the story of “Alexander and the Horrible, Terrible, Not good, Very Bad Day?”
Alexander was an 8 year old boy, and he had one of those days when everything went wrong, disasters one right after another. Nothing went right, it was Horrible, Terrible, Not good, Very Bad Day!’
Alexander woke up one morning, he discovered he had gone to bed with gum in his mouth and when he awoke it was in his hair. When he got out of bed he tripped over his skateboard and then dropped his sweater into the sink where the water was running.
He said, ‘I just knew it was going to be a Horrible, Terrible, Not good, Very Bad Day!’
Then Alexander went to school and it turned out to be horrible day there too.
After school he had a terrible expereince at the dentists office. Then came supper and he said
‘We had cauliflower for supper and I hate cauliflower! And on TV all I saw was huggin and kisin and I hate huggin and kissin.’
Then my bath water was too hot and I got soap in my eye and I almost lost my marble down the drain.
When I went to bed, my brother Nick took back the pillow he said I could have. And my Star Trek night light burned out, and I bit my tongue and the cat decided to sleep with Nick instead of me.
All in all, Alexander said, it was a Horrible, Terrible, Not good, Very Bad Day.
Is it any wonder that when Alexander came to the end of the day, he heaved a sigh and cried, ‘I think I will run away.”
I think all of us, at one point have felt like poor Alexander. All of us have had days filled with anxiety, stress and frayed nerves.
We’ve heard it said that God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. It’s easy to agree …
WHEN WE LIKE THE PLAN!
But sometimes, God’s plan turns out to be different than what we were thinking.
You may be happily married with two kids. You have no intentions on having any more. But one day, you come home from work. And your wife says “Guess what? I just came back from the doctor. And we’re going to have two more kids! Isn’t this a blessing? Praise the Lord!”
Sometimes, God’s plan is different than what we were thinking.
Or maybe you have a job that you really like. A job that you’re good at. But one day, the boss says, “John, we need to make some changes. We’re going to have to let you go.” And you go home and say, “Lord, what is happening? I thought I was where you wanted me to be! I thought I was doing what you wanted me to do! What is going on?”
Sometimes, God’s plan is different than what we were thinking.
Or maybe someone you love is fighting cancer. You were counting on God to come through for your family just like He always has. You were counting on a miracle! But one morning, the doctor calls back with the test results that you don’t want to hear.
Sometimes, God’s plan is different than what we were thinking.
The same thing is true of the people of Judah in Jeremiah 29. The year is 597 BC. God is judging the nation of Judah because of their unfaithfulness. The Babylonians have attacked Jerusalem. They’ve taken 3000 prisoners back to Babylon; Including the king, the court officials, and the craftsmen. And the Jews are saying,
“This isn’t supposed to happen to us! We’re the chosen people! We’re the apple of God’s eye! What is going on?”
The Jewish people have a beautiful history of God coming through for them in times of crisis.
In Exodus chapter 3:7, the Lord told Moses that “I have seen the misery of my people. I am concerned about their suffering at the hands of the Egyptians. So I’m going to bring them out of the land of Egypt.”
And that’s exactly what happens. In Exodus 14, God brings them through the Red Sea. 40 years later in Joshua 24, the Israelites inherit the Promised Land. God’s plan was accomplished in the lives of His people.
And in 2 Kings 19, the Assyrian army invaded the land of Judah. The people were scared. The commander of the Assyrian army said, “No one can deliver you out of the hand of the King of Assyria. Surrender to us now, and we will let you live!”
But Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. And that very night, an angel of the Lord went out and put to death 185,000 people in the Assyrian camp. Almighty God had come through once again! God’s word was accomplished in the lives of His people.
And so when the Babylonians invade the land of Judah in 597 BC, the captives are thinking, “This isn’t going to last long. God is going to come through for us like He always does!
The prophet Hananiah said in Jeremiah 28 that in two years, God will break the yoke of the king of Babylon, and we will be free! We’re coming back home! Praise God!”
But in Jeremiah 29:1-6, Jeremiah writes a letter to the captives in Babylon. And basically, he says “You’re not coming home for a while. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. Be fruitful and multiply.” In other words, ‘You’re not ready to go home because I have plans for you right here in Babylon.”
And then in verse seven, Jeremiah says, “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
And the Jews would have been thinking, “You want us to pray for the community that carried us into captivity? Jeremiah, have you lost your mind? These people are the enemies of God! These are the people who ransacked the city of Jerusalem! How can you ask us to pray for these people?”
And then down in verse ten, God says something else that would have gotten the Jews riled up. He says “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.”
When we read this verse, we think, “Wow, that’s beautiful. In seventy years, God is going to bring the people back to the Promised Land. That’s awesome!”
But the Jews were thinking, “You mean we gotta live in this rotten country for the next 70 years? Most of us are going to be dead by then! What kind of a plan is this, God?”
There would have been some people who very religiously would have thumbed their noses on the captives, reminding them that Moses also said if the people were to rebel and turn to idols and forget the Lord, then the consequence would be , well,… THIS!
In other words, you’re getting what you deserve.
Still, among the thousands of captive Jews, were a remnant of young men and women who hadn’t forsaken the Lord. In fact among them were four young men, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who had not defiled themselves but walked faithfully before God and men.
They did not deserve this punishment and yet, there they were in captivity.
My friends, God’s plan isn’t always what we thought it was going to be. But God’s plan is always best.
Even after 30+ years of ministry I am still learning this truth that God’s plan is not always the easiest plan. But it is the BEST plan.
And that brings us to Jeremiah 29:11: “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.
KJV- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of
peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
ESV= For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not
for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
My favorite translation is from the Message
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not
abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
Today, you may be in that place where you do not know where God is leading, but I
want to assure you from God’s word,
GOD’s Gotta PLAN.
This morning I want to remind you that you can still trust His plan. God’s word
declares that God’s PlAN is a good plan, a secured plan, and a plan filled
with hope.
Contrary to what some people believe God has not created this world to allow it to spin
on its own wheels. Niether do we live our lives according to some impersonal fate or
chance. Neither are we puppets on a celestial string to be dangled for God’s
amusement.
I want to point out 4 facts about God’s plan for your life,
To begin, it is a PROVIDENTIAL plan
The word providence is not found in the Bible, but its life giving truth is weaved
throughout scripture.
The Psalmist refers to the majesty of providence when he writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’ And The Apostle Paul breaks out into song declaring the majesty of God’s providence in Romans 11:33, Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
What is providence? The word comes from two words, . “Pro” means “before” ---
“Video” means “to see” --- Providence means “to see before”
This means that God sees before and plans accordingly. Nothing that happens in your
life or mine catches God by surprise.
Providence means that God didn’t just create the world and then walk off and leave it. –
like winding a clock and then letting it wind down.
Christians are convinced that God is in control of all things. (That is why we pray.)
God sees, He knows, He cares, He protects and HE provides what we need just when
We need it.
I confess I am impatient. I want to know what God is doing, …YESTERDAY!
My favorite verse that gives me the most comfort when I am in that state is Psalm 46:10,
“Be still and know that I am God.
"Be still" means to "get quiet and sit tight."The original Hebrew means, CHILL OUT! , I
Know what I am doing, and have everything under control. Keep your eyes on me, and
don’t be distracted by the stuff of this world.
It is about the hardest thing a person can do. We are prone to talk, to defend ourselves,
to justify our failures, and to condone our defeats.
Before we do anything, God calls us to stand still and KNOW Him as your refuge, your
healer, your provider. He will be all that you need Him to be when you simply stand
still.
It is when I learn the lesson of waiting that I understand that God’s providential plan
also is
A LOVING PLAN
The hardest lesson for us to learn as Christians are the lessons that come only through
The trials we experience in life. In Hebrews 12, we find a challenging passage
"My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,( God does discipline us. He doesn’t let us go our own way.) (The second thing to notice is that God disciplines us in love.. and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, Some of you may have grown up with an abusive father, and you carry the wounds of that relationship with you even today. You may have experienced so-called "discipline" that was simply abuse. Because of that, it may be difficult for you to relate to the idea of God as a loving Father. It may be difficult to accept the idea that discipline can be motivated by love. But God does not act toward us in anger; His anger toward us was completely exhausted in the death of Christ. Christ appeased God’s wrath toward sin, completely and eternally. For those who have placed their trust in Christ, God has not a shred of anger or wrath. His attitude toward us is completely love.
His discipline may not feel like love [How many of your children have ever thanked you for loving them when you discipline them?and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son . . . Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. - Hebrews 12:5-11 (NIV)
The third thing to notice is the purpose of this discipline. God doesn’t discipline us for
the fun of it, because He enjoys watching us suffer. He isn’t some kind of sadist. He
does it for what it produces - holiness, righteousness, and peace. He does it to bless us.
In other words, God disciplines us not to make us feel good but to make us good.
The good news is that our sufferings are not random. We already know that we suffer.
Good people, even exemplary Christians, suffer. The only question is whether there is
any good in it; whether there is anything to redeem the suffering, to make it a positive
thing. And the answer is Yes. It is part of God’s good plan for our lives. We do not live
in a capricious universe that just tosses us about without reason or purpose. We are not
at the mercy of some blind fate. Our lives are guided by a loving, wise God, and our
suffering - all of it - has a purpose., to draw us closer to Him in order that we may be
more like Him.
God’s plan is a providential plan, it is a loving plan and it gives us
A Plan of ACTION
Your life is not determined by chance, fate or kismet. It is not guided by an impersonal force. No, there is a purpose for you right where you are.
When we arein the idle of the vortex of difficulty we can feel much like the Isrealites felt as they were being led out in chains; failures; lost; confused; bitter. We wonder, God, what do I do now. How do you want me to live my life now?
Take another look at the verses we read earlier. We looked at them through the lens of the captives. Now take a second look as I read these verses from the Message. Listen with new ears. What is God saying to His people?
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out
"Build houses and make yourselves at home. "Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country. 6"Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you'll thrive in that country and not waste away. 7"Make yourselves at home there and work for the country's welfare
You are where you are, not by chance but by Divine appointment. God’s plan is that you wold not fret or worry, but to trust Him and be a light where He has planted you. BE faithful at home, work and school.
—plans to take care of you, not abandon you,
"Pray for Babylon's well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you." 8-9Yes. Believe it or not, this is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel's God: "Don't let all those so-called preachers and know-it-alls who are all over the place there take you in with their lies. Don't pay any attention to the fantasies they keep coming up with to please you. They're a bunch of liars preaching lies—and claiming I sent them! I never sent them, believe me." God's Decree!
Be faithful wherever you are. Do not be led astray by false teachings and fads that come and go. Keep yourself ground and rooted in Gods word.
plans to give you the future you hope for.
"As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home.
Keep look up and keep looking ahead. It is not ging to last forever. So the question we need to ask is, until then what am I doing with the gifts and opportunities God has given me NOW!
One day every person will stand before the father. HE will open the books and ask the question “WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SON?” The answer will determine their eternal destiny.
Fr those whose names are in the book, he will also ask WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE TIME< GIFTS AND OPPORTUNITIES I GAVE YOU TO SERVE MY SON?
So often people waste their time wondering about what God wants for their future, that they miss the simple opportunities to serve Him today
Do you see that you do not need to fear God’s plan? It is a providential plan, a loving plan, a plan of action and finally God enables us to fulfill His plan because it is
A SPIRIT ENABLED Plan
We are Pentecostal. I am proudly Pentecostal, in expereince as well as in heritage. The danger I have is that I can become so familiar and used to it that I forget the incredible gift god has given me in the Holy Spirit. Without Him I can do nothing.
We all know this. It is so common among us we tend to forget that God has called us and with that call HE equips us with supernatural power to fulfill His call.
We have heard this verse all summer by all our evangelists, but allow me to share it one more time
ACTS 1:8, from the Message, when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be ABLE…
As a boy in Sunday school at APC, I remember singing this song taken from Zechariah 4:6- ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’says the Lord Almighty.
CONCLUSION:
So what do I take home from all this. If God has a plan, and it is a providential plan, a loving plan, a plan of action and a spirit enabled plan; what do I do now?
Illustration: Coquohalla Hwy vs. Fraser Canyon Hwy
Our trip illustrates a common expereince of us all. We all begin our walk of faith with great energy, vigor and hope. Everything is new and exciting.
Like the C.H., every turn is a new expereince and we want to take it all in. The danger is if we do not keep our eyes straight ahead we run the danger of wandering off course and getting lost.
The fraser Canyon is like the expereince we all have. We travel along and wonder if the road will ever end. We are surrounded by mountain after endless mouintain. Whe we are halfway through we want to quit ondering have we made a mistake? We ar too tired to go on? Will this ever end.
We have two choices: we can choose to waste time by worrying, what is going to happen next, how will I ever survive.
Or we can become paralyzed by wondering. Look how big this is. Howe can I ever get over it?
Or we can ceome discouraged and begin to wander away from the path god has set for us.
We can waste our time, or we can redeem the time God has given us by turning to God and beginning to WORSHIP Him
Listen to the promise Gid makes to his people if they would be faithful to trust Him with His plan for their lives,
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord,
I am going to ask the worship team to return. I invite you right now, if you are worried, paralyzed by wonder or maybe you have wandered away from Gods plan. Turn your eyes once more to the God who loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life; a Providential plan, a loving plan, a plan of action and a Spirit enabled plan.
