Jeremiah 29:11

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.’

What good news it is to know for sure that someone is in charge of this mess and that someone wants good things for us!

Today, I want to use God’s own words to show you what He has planned for you.

1. GOD’S PLAN IS FOR YOU TO WORSHIP HIM

What is worship? Worship is a very focused attention from us, acknowledging and accepting the fact that there is but one God, and that He loves us and that we love Him.

In EXODUS 20:1-6 it reads,

’I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

‘You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.’

God is the only true God. When we choose to not allow Him a place in our lives, it becomes the same thing as hating Him. Some don’t think that is what they do, but we either love Him by keeping His commandments, or we hate Him by keeping Him out of our lives.

MARK 12:28-34 tell us,

’One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this:’

‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.’

We were created to worship. Worshiping God with our heart, mind, body, and spirit is in our DNA. God imprinted that need upon our hearts even before He formed us in the womb.

We will always find ourselves worshiping someone or something in our lives. If we are not worshiping our status in life, we are worshiping our income, or some TV personality or sports figure. And if that were not bad enough, if we aren’t worshiping one of them, we’re probably worshiping ourselves.

We even worship ourselves in the titles to our songs. Listen to the titles of these country songs.

* If You Can’t Live Without Me, Why Aren’t You Dead Yet?

* You’re the Reason Our Kids are Ugly

* I Wouldn’t Take Her to a Dogfight; Even Though She Would Win

* I Went Back to My Fourth Wife for the Third Time - and Gave Her a Second Chance to Make a First Class Fool Out of Me

Now, these titles are not real. But if you look at these titles, you will see an unhealthy focus on “us” and “our” feelings. This is what we do in most areas of our lives; we always seem to concentrate on the big “US” and never give a thought to the much bigger GOD! This is the same as telling God you do not want Him in your life because you think we you more important that He is.

And whenever we set anything in our lives as a higher priority than God, that thing becomes our idol. And, for every action, there is a reaction. When we worship anything there is always a response. Worship God and you will experience life. Worship idols (including yourself) and you will experience death.

We were made to worship our Lord in everything we do, and when we choose to do so, we become blessed with His mighty love.

In ISAIAH 56:4-5, it talks about those who keep God’s commandments.

’… those who choose to do what pleases Me and commit their lives to Me. I will give them - in My house, within My walls, a memorial, and a name far greater than the honor they would have received by having sons and daughters. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear.’