What is the Plan?
The Bible speaks about plans - God’s plans:
Jer 29:11 AMP - For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the LORD, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
This is a well-known scripture and is filled with hope and potential. What stood out for me though is that the Lord says “He knows” the plans He has for me. He is not wondering. He will not have to make an emergency plan to get me out of some issue. He is already prepared; He knows what He has planned. It is a good plan, and He is ready to walk it out with me.
Then taking it further, I was reminded that it is “His plans”. He has plans for me. I know this is where the difficulty comes for people as it means that we have to surrender our own plans, our own will. The beauty of His plans is that they never fail. With His plans come His provision and His wisdom.
He doesn’t force us to follow His plans for our lives. We always have a choice. But from where I stand, it is a no-brainer to choose His plan rather than trying to make it in my own strength and wisdom. Following His plans will lead to peace and well-being, giving us a future and a hope. It also guarantees success and that we will come out victorious.
Rom 8:37 NKJV - Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.
We know what it means to be a conqueror, but what does it mean to be more than a conqueror? There is a story that illustrates this. It is about a young man who wanted to become a world champion in boxing. He was of average build but decided to join a gym and get a private coach. He worked and trained hard and later joined a club where he knew world champions were being trained. He started boxing in tournaments and got himself beaten and bruised, but he continued. He was improving and started moving up in the rankings. And one day his chance came to fight against the best in the world. He grabbed it with both hands. The day of the fight came, and he was ready. He looked his opponent in the face without fear, ready, excited, expecting. It was a hard fight. He had a swollen eye and other scars as evidence. But, when the final bell rang, he was crowned the victor. They gave him the title, the big golden belt and a big pile of cash.
The story doesn’t end there. He went home where his wife was waiting. She warmly embraced him and was so very happy for him. Then she held out her hand and he gave her the cash. That day she was more than a conqueror. Why? She didn’t have to fight and get all beat up, yet she was the one who got the reward. She got to spend the winning cash.
Jesus did this for us. He volunteered, He fought the fight, He defeated the enemy and we now get to live in the victory of His accomplishments. He didn't do it for Himself, He didn’t need to. He did it for us so we can live victorious in every area of our lives.
In thinking about noble new year's resolutions, the things that make the most sense and that have value beyond this coming year and this life, is finding out and living in the victory that Jesus secured for us and who we now are in Him.
May 2024 be known as the year we started living in the fullness of who we are in Him. Then, when looking back we will find that we are walking more and more in our calling - that of becoming conformed into His image. That is what will change the world because sometimes, the only Jesus other people get to see is in your eyes, through your hands and because of your unexpected expressions of love. How does that sound for a plan?
Photo credit - Janine's beautiful rainbow photo.
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