Explore and understand God's good, prosperous, and hopeful plan for us, as promised in Jeremiah 29:11.
Good morning, family. We're gonna dive right into a message that's really close to my heart today. It's about God's plan for us - His good, prosperous, and hopeful plan.
As Max Lucado once wrote, "God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile." And that's what we're gonna focus on today - the journey and the arrival.
Let's read our key verse from Jeremiah 29:11, shall we?
"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."
What a sweet, comforting promise that is!
Now, before we go any further, let's bow our heads in prayer.
Father, as we dig into Your Word today, we ask for open hearts and minds. Help us to truly understand and accept Your good, prosperous, and hope-filled plan for us. Guide our thoughts and our conversation, Lord. We're excited to learn more about Your love for us today. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Alright, y'all ready? Let's get started.
God's plan for us is inherently good. It's a concept that is deeply rooted in the scriptures and is a cornerstone of our faith. It's a promise that God makes to each one of us, a promise that is beautifully encapsulated in Jeremiah 29:11. But what does it mean when we say that God's plan for us is good?
A different type of good: God's goodness is not contingent on our human understanding of what is good. Our perception of goodness is often skewed by our limited perspective and our immediate circumstances. We tend to equate goodness with comfort, ease, and the absence of pain or hardship. But God's goodness transcends these earthly definitions. His goodness is perfect, complete, and eternal. It's a goodness that is rooted in His love for us, a love that is so profound and so vast that it's beyond our human comprehension.
His plan for us is good: He's not promising a life devoid of challenges or difficulties. In fact, the Bible is replete with stories of faithful servants of God who faced immense trials and tribulations. Think of Job, who lost everything he had, or Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. Yet, in the midst of their suffering, God's goodness was at work, molding them, shaping them, and preparing them for a greater purpose.
Often most evident in our struggles: It's in these moments that we come to realize our dependence on Him, and it's in these moments that we experience His grace and mercy in profound ways. God's plan for us is good because it draws us closer to Him, it refines our character, and it equips us to fulfill the purpose that He has for us.
It's tailored specifically for us: Psalm 139:16 says, "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." God has a unique plan for each one of us, a plan that is intricately woven into the fabric of our lives. He knows our strengths, our weaknesses, our passions, and our fears. He knows the number of hairs on our head, and He knows the desires of our heart. His plan for us takes all of this into account. It's a plan that is designed to bring out the best in us, to help us grow, and to enable us to make a difference in the world around us.
It's rooted in His desire for our ultimate well-being: God wants the best for us. He wants us to experience joy, peace, and fulfillment. He wants us to live abundant lives, lives that are marked by a deep and intimate relationship with Him. His plan for us is geared towards this end. It's a plan that is designed to draw us into a deeper relationship with Him, a plan that is designed to mold us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
When we talk about God's plan to prosper us, we're not merely referring to material wealth or worldly success ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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