The Plan

The Plan

Scott Bayles, pastor

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 4/30/2017

Have you heard about the photographer for a national magazine assigned to get photos of a great forest fire? He was told to hurry to a nearby airport, where a plane would be waiting. When he arrived at the airport, the plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” The pilot swung the plane into the wind and they soon were in the air. “Fly over the north side of the fire,” yelled the photographer, “and make three or four low level passes.” “Why?” asked the pilot. “Because I’m going to take pictures,” cried the photographer. “I’m a photographer and photographers take pictures!” After a pause the pilot said, “You mean you’re not the flight instructor?”

Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan, does it? As the old saying goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans!”

Plans are funny things. Most of the time, when we make them, we aren’t really the ones who control their outcomes. Sure, we can do our best to try and make them happen, but so much of our world—and our lives—are dictated by things outside of our control. We all encounter things in life that aren’t “supposed” to happen, things that weren’t part of the plan. You get a flat tire on the way to work. Your in-laws showed up unannounced. Your teenage daughter gets pregnant. The doctor calls with the worst possible news. The divorce papers arrive. Just when you think you’ve got life figured out, something happens that throws a monkey wrench into your plans. Whether it’s a consequence of something we’ve done or simply circumstances that are out of our control. Suddenly, plans change—and sometimes, they totally disappear.

But there is a promise—a single promise—in God’s Word that can meet every surprise or sudden change of plans head-on, and given enough time, it will resolve every problem. It’s an iron-clad, unfailing, all-encompassing, God-given guarantee that every single circumstance of life will sooner or later turn out well for God’s people. How many of you think that’s a promise worth exploring? Buried in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah (a book we hardly ever read) is this reassuring verse:

“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.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

This is one of those verses that makes it onto encouragement cards or even gets the highly honored name of “favorite verse.” I have a small sailboat sitting on my self with this verse inscribed on it. It’s a verse that’s so full of hope that we cling to it like a buoy in the stormy seas of life.

Like a precious jewel, this promise is multi-faceted reflecting the many colors of God’s grace and sovereignty. If you’ll let me, I’d like to highlight three facets of this promise and what they mean to those of us who cling to it.

First and foremost, this verse is about God’s plans!

• GOD’S PLANS

Notice the emphasis in the beginning of this verse: “For I know the plans I have for you…” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). Our plans and God’s plans are often two very different things, aren’t they?

The Bible is full of stories of people who experienced a change of plans. After the glorious exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were “supposed” to walk into the Promise Land—the home long-hoped for. After 39 years of wandering in the wilderness, it was clear, things were not going as they had planned. Mary and Joseph were “supposed” to get married and start a family and lead normal lives—but after an angel showed up with a mission from above, plans changed. Lazarus was “supposed” to be healed; after all, he was a close personal friend with Jesus himself. But after his sickness took a turn for the worse, suddenly his family realized, plans had changed.

Like them, we all have things that didn’t work out the way they were “supposed” to. Often the reason life doesn’t go according to plan is that God has other plans and his plans supersede ours. James knows all about that. In the New Testament, he writes to Christians scattered across the Roman empire:

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16 NLT)