For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. ~Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPCE)
The most important thing is not how we start but how we finish. Some people get started with a bang, but they never finish. Others are slow starters, but they finish strong. When we start an endeavor in faith, we are usually trusting and waiting and believing the Lord for wisdom and provision for every step. When we move forward in our flesh and out of our emotions, we run out of steam quickly and eventually we will have to go back to square one and begin operating by faith because the Lord tells us without faith it is impossible to please Him. How can we expect Him to be on board with what we are doing if we aren’t asking for His help? God says He has thoughts and plans for each of us. His thoughts and plans can be our destiny if we come into agreement with His word. He says in Hebrews 11:3 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (NIV) God’s word framed the world. What a thought and miracle. Words that are not seen form what we see around us every day and walking in the great destiny God has planned for us is a possibility, but it is not necessarily a “positively.” We must cooperate with God to develop our potential and a huge part of that is making sure what we say about ourselves and our future lines up with what God says about us and our future. When was the last time you reminded yourself that God has good thoughts and plans for you? When was the last time you shared with someone that things might look bleak today, but God has promised us hope in our final outcome? Learning new things keeps us fresh and helps us grow. Think about how much vitality we would have if we spent time learning of all the promises God has made to us and every good thing he has spoken over our lives. Every day we should be a bit further along than we were the day before. We should be progressively more acquainted with the Lord and His word, and we must each be committed to discovering our God-given gifts and talents. We need to stretch what we believe we are capable of every day to find out what we are truly capable of because He is with us. Are you consistently pressing into the task of developing your gifts, talents, and capabilities to their fullest extent?
The most important way we cooperate with God is with our faith. God answers prayers because God answers faith. When the angel Gabriel told Mary she would be the mother of the Son of God, her response in Luke 1:38 was; “be it unto me according to thy word.” (ERV) We should have that same attitude. When we see in scripture the good things God has promised us, we should tell Him right then and there “be it unto me according to your word Lord.” That is faith. God has told us in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” (AMPCE) That is as much a promise to you as the promise Mary received because God is no respector of persons. What He does for some He will do for others because of their faith. They are counting on His love and goodness towards them. God has promised He has a good plan for us, to give us hope. Gabriel told Mary in verse 37 “No word for from God will every fail.” (NIV) Just as Mary had to believe God’s word to her, you have to believe in God's promises to you. You can always count on the promises of God. He is true to His word and in dues season you will reap if you don’t give up your faith in Him!
For the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is His name. ~Luke 1:49 (NIV)
Have you reminded yourself of the great plans God has for you today?
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