Jeremiah 29:11-13
Topic: The P.L.A.N.S that God has for you and the P.L.A.N.S. you should have for God!
It is a blessing to know that God has some plans for you.
It does not matter if you are young or old, God has some plans for you.
It does not matter if you are a male or female, God has some plans for you.
It does not matter if you are rich or poor, God has some plans for you.
It does not matter if you are black or white, Latino or Asian, God has some plans for you.
It does not matter if you are educated or not, God has some plans for you.
It does not matter if you are single, married, widowed or divorced, God has some plans for you
It does not matter if you are Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, or Catholic, God has some plans for you
It does not matter if you are employed or unemployed, God has some plans for you.
And the reason why I know that God has some plans for you is because God said it himself in the Word of God that He has some plans for us.
Now in Jeremiah 29:11-13, in the King James Version, the scripture says,"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."
It is a blessing to know from this scripture that God has us on His mind, and He is constantly thinking about us. In last week Sunday School lesson, we learned that God constantly has us on His mind, and He never forgets about us, for in Isaiah 44;21 says, "Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you."
And because God is constantly thinking about us, He has some great plans in store for us because if you look at Jeremiah 29:11-13 in the New International Version, the scripture says," 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."
Also if you look at Jeremiah 29:11-13 in the New American Standard Bible, the scripture says "For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ’plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. "
In the New Living Translation, Jeremiah 29:11 says," For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. "
So we see in the Word of God in Jeremiah 29:11 that God has plans for us to be blessed abundantly, for Jesus Christ himself has said in St. 10:10 that "I came that you might have life, and have life abundantly", and in 1 Corinthians 2:9, the Apostle Paul has said, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Now, if we were to attempt to discuss all the plans that God has for us, we would be here for eternity because God has so many plans in store for us.
Psalms 40:5 in the New International Version it says, "O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them."
Yes, God has numerous of plans for us that is found in the bible. But for the sake of time, we are going to look at just five specific plans that we can rest assure that God has for us, especially as believers in Christ. And what we are going to do is that we are going to look at each letter in the word plans And we are going to find out the plans that God has for us.
So the question is: What are the P.L.A.N.S that God has for us?
I. God has plans to Prosper us.
Jeremiah 29:11 says,"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."
The word prosper means to be successful,
It means to grow,
It means to flourish,
It means to excel,
It means to develop into something good or positive
It means to accomplish something good
It means to improve on something that needed improvement,
It means to go the next level in life.
It means to be victorious
It means to live and do well.
Now most people, when they think of being prosperous, it just only means living in a big house, having lots of money in the bank, and driving fancy cars. But you can have all of that, and yet still not be prosperous because if you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you are not prosperous. Prosperity is not depending upon your bank account, but on your relationship with Christ. Prosperity is not dependent upon what the Republican or the Democrats do in the White House, but it is dependent upon God who controls all things.
Now, it must be understood that it is nothing wrong with prospering financially. But God wants you to prosper in other things as well. God wants to prosper you in wisdom understanding, and knowledge in God’s word,
God wants to prosper you with the joy of the Lord,
God wants to prosper you with peace with God,
God wants to prosper you in your marriage or relationship with your children, with the people at work, in your church, or community,
God wants to prosper you to do well in school
God wants to prosper you in your business, on your job
God wants to prosper you with good health and in your mind
God wants to prosper you in your ministry and in your gift for the Lord,
prosper in your educational pursuits,
But in order for God to prosper you must do the following things:
A. First of all, You must seek the Lord.
•2 Chronicles 26:1-5 says, " Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah,] who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Elath] and restored it to Judah, after the king rested with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions[of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper."
B. Secondly, you must believe in the Lord and in His Word.
•2nd Chronicles 20:20 says, "So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets(the one who speak the truth of God’s word), and you shall prosper
C. Thirdly, you must meditate and obey the Word of God.
•Joshua 1:8 says, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
•Psalms 1:1-3 says "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he does shall prosper."
II. God has plans to Love us despite of us.
God plans to love us despite of us. That is, God is going to love us despite of our failures.
God is going to love us despite of our shortcomings.
God is going to love us despite of the faults that we may have
God is going to love us despite of our weaknesses that we may have.
Jeremiah 31:3 says "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
The reason why God is going to love us despite of us is because God himself is love.
I John 4:7-11 says "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
No matter how bad you may have messed up, God still loves you. And the reason why God still loves us no matter how bad you may have messed up because in Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Now, it must be understood that just because God is going to love us despite of ourselves that does not mean that it is ok to live any kind of way for scripture says in Hebrews 12:7, "For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth." Just because God loves us unconditionally, and will forgive us when we do wrong, that does not give us the license just to do any kind of sinful act and think we are going to get away with it because if you don’t repent and stop doing the wrong things, God will step in and discipline you because God is not just a loving God, but He is a holy and just God.
III. God has plans to Always be able for us.
Yes, God plans to Always be able, for Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
So what is God always able to do?
•He is able to save us to the uttermost.
•He is able to keep us from falling.
•He is able to supply our every needs.
•He is able to heal our diseases.
•He is able to deliver us.
•He is able to turn our bad situation around and to make work for our good.
•He is able to turn our midnights into day.
•He is able to sustain us when we are going through some stormy situations.
•He is able to make a way out of no way.
•He is able to lead and guide you.
•He is able to build you up where you may been torn down; He is able to strengthen you where you have been week
•He is able to forgive you and cast your sins away as far the west is from the east
And the reason why God is able is because Jeremiah 32:17 says that "there is nothing, absolutely nothing too hard for God."
IV. God has plans to Never leave us or forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
No matter how lonely you may feel in this life, just know that God will be right by your side because He promised to never leave you nor forsake you.
No matter what tough situation that you may be going through right now, God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.
Psalm 23 says, The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For thou art with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
Isaiah 43:2 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you."
V. God has plans to See us through all of our trials and tribulations
John 16:33 says, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 34:19 says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all."
Just because God has plans to prosper us, that does not mean, we will never experience any type of troubles. We will experience all kinds of trouble, pain, heartaches, disappointment, trials and tribulations. But yet it is a blessing to know that God has plans to see us through all of our trials and tribulations because when God brings you through your trials and tribulations, you have a testimony at the end of it saying, "Look how far the Lord has brought me."
And since God has some plans for us, we ought to have some plans for Him!
What plans should we have for the Lord?
I.We ought to have plans to Praise the Lord
Psalm 34:1 says " I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together."
II. We ought to have plans to Learn of Christ so you can live for Christ
Jesus said in St. Matthew 11:28-30 says, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
III. We ought to have plans to Acknowledge the Lord in all our ways
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
IV. We ought to have plans Not be ashamed to be a witness for the Lord
Romans 1:16 says , "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,[a] for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Luke 9:26 says, "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels."
V. We ought to Serve the Lord with gladness
Psalms 100:1-5 says, "Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; And His truth endures to all generations.
Now it must be understood that you having plans for God is not for God’s benefit, but is for your benefit. God can do well without you. But if you want to be blessed, you must have plans for God.
But the greatest plan of that you should have for God is to enter into a personal relationship with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 says, "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
To enter into a personal relationship with God, you must believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. He is the one who died on the cross for your sins and in three days, He had risen from the dead with all power in His hands. And the bible says if you repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, you shall be saved.
Romans 10:9 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
