“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
How many times have we found ourselves questioning the paths of our lives? Saying things like, why did this door close? Why didn’t this dream come true? Why am I facing this difficulty?
In the journey of faith, one of the deepest and at the same time most challenging truths is understanding that God has a plan – a plan that we often don’t see completely, but that is perfect in every detail.
Good Plans in Bad Circumstances
When God spoke these words through the prophet Jeremiah, the people of Israel were in Babylonian exile – torn from their land, far from the temple, living as captives in a foreign land. The circumstances could not have seemed worse! And it was exactly in this context of apparent defeat that God declared: “I have good plans for you.”
Illustration: The Goldsmith and the Gold
Imagine a goldsmith working on precious gold. To purify the metal, he needs to subject it to the intense heat of fire. To an uninformed observer, it seems that the goldsmith is destroying something valuable. The gold appears to be in terrible circumstances – in the midst of flames! But the goldsmith knows exactly what he is doing. Each moment in the fire has purpose, and the result will be a purer and more valuable gold.
Similarly, we often find ourselves “in the fire” of difficult circumstances, but God, like the wise goldsmith, knows exactly what He is doing. His hands never cease to control the process.
“For I AM the one who knows the plans I have for you, says the Lord” Jeremiah 29:11
God Knows the Plans – We Don’t
Note carefully the words of Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you”. It doesn’t say “you know the plans”, but “I know”. This is a crucial distinction. God rarely reveals the complete map of our journey.
There are times in our lives when doors close not as punishment, but as direction. Years ago, I lived in my hometown, I had graduated but the doors of employment simply wouldn’t open. At that moment, it could have felt frustrating, like rejection or even that God had abandoned me. However, now I can look back and understand – God had a bigger plan! He was closing doors in my city to prepare me for ministry elsewhere.
This is an example of how, in the moment of difficulty, we cannot see the complete picture. I didn’t know the plan, but God knew it.
Illustration: GPS vs Old Map
When I moved to Ireland, 17 years ago, Fabiana and I would use a paper map when travelling to an unknown destination. We would study each road, each crossing, each alternative route before the journey.
Today, with GPS, we simply trust the guidance: “In 100 metres, turn right.” We don’t need to see the entire route – just the next step.
God frequently guides us like a “spiritual GPS” – giving us only the next necessary step, asking for our trust at each turn, without revealing the complete journey or pur destination.
Avoid Shortcuts – The Story of Hananiah
In Jeremiah 28, we find the story of Hananiah, a false prophet who contradicted the word of God. While Jeremiah prophesied that the exile would last 70 years, Hananiah boldly declared that it would last only two years.
How many times are we tempted to seek shortcuts in God’s plan? How many times do we listen to voices that promise quicker results, easier paths, instant solutions?
Personal Testimony
My decision to leave a management position with an excellent salary to become a full-time pastor certainly faced the voice of modern “Hananiahs”: “Why abandon financial security?” “Why not serve God and keep your job?” “Why not wait a few more years?”
I have seen people abandoning their ministry, calling and their church for “better opportunities”.
We must have discernment to recognise God’s true calling, even when it means a more challenging path. We cannot yield to the temptation of shortcuts, but embrace God’s complete plan, with all its challenges and rewards.
God’s Sovereignty – Everything Is Connected
In Isaiah 46:9-11, God declares: “I make known the end from the beginning… My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please… What I have planned, that I will do.” Isaiah 46:9-11
One of the most comforting truths of the Christian faith is that God is sovereign over all circumstances, even in those that seem chaotic or adverse.
Illustration: The Woven Tapestry
Have you ever observed the process of weaving an elaborate tapestry? From below, it looks like a mess of knots, cut strings and patterns that seem to have no order. But when turned over, it reveals a magnificently ordered design. Our life is like such carpet – we only see only underside, with its knots and apparent disorder. God sees the complete pattern He is creating.
Life As a “Cross Reference”
Our journey on Earth is like an immense biblical cross reference, where God connects events, people and circumstances in ways we cannot predict. That “casual” encounter, that “unexpected” opportunity, that “random” difficulty – everything is part of a beautifully connected plan.
You are not in this Town and this church by chance! God who knows you, He brought you here to be treated, restored, healed, set free in order to be used as an instrument for His Glory.
From “God’s Will For My Life” To “My Life For God’s Will”
There is a fundamental transformation we need to experience:
We must stop asking “What is God’s will for MY life?” and start saying “How can I offer MY life for God’s will?”
The first question is, in its essence, self-centred – it puts my desires, my dreams and my journey at the centre. The second is Christ-centred – it recognises that we are part of a bigger story, the story of God’s Kingdom.
After my conversion, I wanted to get married, but I waited on God and prayed for a wife who would serve the Kingdom with me.
See how this small change makes a big difference: I wasn’t just seeking personal satisfaction, but someone who would align with the purpose of serving the Kingdom. And God honoured that perspective, giving me a wonderful wife, 2 beautiful daughters and a happy marriage that has glorified God for 35 years.
I want to challenge you to put “your life for God’s will” instead of merely seeking “God’s will for your life”.
Living For God’s Will in Everything
In Colossians, Paul exhorts us:
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:17, 23-24 NKJV
What is your profession? What do you do? I was called to be a pastor, you are an engineer, a lawyer, psychologist, psychotherapist, welder, teacher, translator, IT technician, factory worker, housekeeper, student or housewife, all of you have the same calling, to serve God and bring the kingdom of God where you are or work.
God’s will is not restricted to major life decisions or formal ministry.
Every aspect of our existence – our work, our family relationships, our friendships, our hobbies – everything can and should be lived as an expression of God’s will.
Our biggest problem is that we are believers on Sunday or when we attend a church meeting, but afterwards (on Monday) we become only: engineers, solicitors, students, housewives and we’re stop living for God’s glory. The struggle we face is separating our spiritual life from our professional identity. Too often, we leave Jesus at the church door as we head into our workweek.
There is no “secular” work and “sacred” work – all of us are part of the same divine design
Are the people who work with you seeing Jesus? If someone visits you or spends a week with you: Is their life transformed and do they feel God’s presence in your life?
I’ve welcomed several people who lived in my home for a period. After this time, they came to know God, were converted, and today they are serving God.
I worked in a company for 15 years. When I joined the company, there were no born-again Christians. After 15 years, nearly 50% of the company were Christians and became members of our church.
You are the light of Christ for those in darkness, you are the salt of the earth for those who are lost!
God’s Timing is Perfect
One of the most challenging aspects of God’s plans is His timing. Our human nature is impatient – we want immediate results, instant clarity, quick fulfilment. However, God operates on a different timescale.
My Personal Testimony
Observe how God has worked in your life. For in my life, God first called me to leave my hometown, then gave me a wife to walk by my side, then led me to abandon a promising career for the ministry. Then He gave me the direction to leave my church (of thousands of members) to come to Ireland and know you the rest.
Each step occurred in God’s perfect timing – neither earlier nor later. If any of these events had occurred out of sequence or prematurely, the result could have been very different.
Trust the Hand, Not Just the Plan
Jeremiah 29:11 does not end with the promise of good plans. In the following verses (12-13), God says:
“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13
The true purpose of God’s plans is not just to give us material prosperity or success according to the world’s standards. The ultimate purpose is to bring us into a deeper relationship with Him.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
God is not so interested in us knowing all the details of the plan as He is in us firmly holding His hand along the journey. God desires less that we understand every detail of His plan and more that we trust Him completely by holding firmly to His hand throughout our journey. His priority is not our perfect knowledge of what’s ahead, but our perfect trust in who leads the way.
The plan is just the pathway; the relationship is the destination!
God’s plans are the road; knowing Him is the journey’s purpose.
Today, regardless of the circumstances you face – whether good or challenging – remember:
1- God has good plans for you, even when circumstances seem difficult
2- You don’t need to know the whole plan to trust the Planner
3- Avoid the temptation of shortcuts and trust God’s perfect timing
4- Live every aspect of your life as an expression of God’s will
5- Seek God’s hand more than the map He has for you.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Ephesians 3:20 NKJV
May we all say today: “Not my will, but Yours be done. Not ‘God’s will for my life’, but ‘my life for God’s will’.”