IT'S ALL IN THE PLANNING

The verse is familiar.

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 a hope and a future."

And, from where I sit,  those are dang good plans!  In fact, most of us who read that verse, or have heard sermons about that verse, find ourselves landing on the content of those plans... that part about prospering, and not being harmed... about finding hope and a future... sounds good to me!  I'm fully on board with prosperity, safety, hope and a future. Sign. Me. Up!  

Yet, the other day, I found myself suddenly focusing on the first part of that verse... the part about "the creation of the plans."  And, it occurred to me that - God is the one who has the plans in mind.  

Not us.  Not me. 

We don't make the plans. God does. 

God actually tells us in this verse that He KNOWS the plans that HE has for us.  That is utterly amazing. So simple and, yet, so easily missed.

I don't know about you, but, I am always creating lists of my "plans" for the day.  I do this every day. Some of those plans are rather mundane... go to the post office, buy some milk, check the pressure in the tires... But some of those plans are far bigger.  Currently, one of my plans is to "find the next job" because (if you've been reading my previous posts) I have been laid off from my church job for budget reasons. 

This verse reminds me, however, that God is the one who not only HAS the plans ready for me, He also knows them and - will even set them in motion!

I guess what I'm saying is that, it doesn't take a degree in rocket science to realize that if I want to know God's plans for me, then I need to spend time asking Him to reveal them!  

Which might mean I hold off on my own list for a day or two...