God has a plan for us, by Brother Tobi Akintokun
Text:- Jeremiah 29 vs 1- 14
This prophesy was written in a letter to the people from Judah who had been taken captives in Babylon…..
From that verse we can believe some things:
- God’s plans are always good (not harmful to us).
- God’s plans are always designed to bring us good (hope and a future).
- From the text it is easy to infer that, the same way God has a plan for us, we usually have plans for ourselves. Or we have a picture of what Gods plans “has” to look like or will look like.
God does not want to be embarrassed by what His Children are asking, sometimes we compartmentalise things. It comes across that either we have figured it out ourselves, or we think it is too human or physical for God to intervene Isaiah 55 8-9.
We often regard them as, for example, administrative problems, health problems etc. Or we say “But God this one is a David Cameron problem”.
There is no chain that the power in the name of Jesus cannot break. There is no department of your life that God does not want to explore with you, He has a plan even for the minute of details
Most of us have a tendency to figure things out on our own. God is saying, “Hello, I’m here. I created you. Trust me”.
God wants us to acknowledge him in everything
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
- He has a plan even for the minute of details, there is no part God is not interested in. He said to the people in exile whilst 70 years is going on. These are the things I would like you to do have kids get married pray for the land you are in. Grow so that you will not perish.
Same way God is saying: be faithful where you are. God will not give you greater opportunities or responsibilities if you are not faithful with what He’s already entrusted in your hands. However serve Him cheerfully, gratefully, faithfully, wherever you are. You also have to wait on His time because it is always for a reason. Waiting is not always easy.
God sometimes delays His clear-cut answers to cultivate our trust in Him alone and not on our own wisdom.
- Gods plan for you is different from mine…. God met Paul differently and his assignment was to the gentiles so his encounter was different.
There is a reason I am saying this to so I can put the next point in context.
- Sometimes we get scared and start questioning how will God answer this prayer when all these is happening to people around me? How do you pray openheartedly when your prayer point is very “very very” far from your surroundings?
How do you pray when you don’t or can’t comprehend what your prayer point is? God I just know Your plan for me is of good and not of evil.
But……
Isa 55 vs 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
PRAYER:
Anyone here facing a what I call a clueless situation, a situation that is deferring all logic… the God that specialises in impossibilities will sort you out in Jesus name.
You needed money to extend your stay, you apply for renewal they said your application is late but because it is late you can’t appeal, but you also can’t make a fresh application because the rule has changed. And if you go home you are already an overstayer.
So I pray again – Anyone here facing a what I call a clueless situation, a situation that is deferring all logic… the God that specialises in impossibilities will sort you out in Jesus name.
Jeremiah 29 12 then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you, God will listen to you today in Jesus name, God will listen to you in 2015
Isaiah 55 – 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
God has a plan for everyone
But the kind and context of plan we have been talking about is for those that are ready to follow him, those that already to follow him.
To Believe: to have the confidence or conviction is totally different from following
The exiled believed in God but were victim to false prophets that edified them to things they want to hear. He wants you believe as well as seek His face not the face of anybody else, in Jerimiah 29 vs 8…..
Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have.
God said don’t believe their dreams……it is not from me.
Define To Follow: to go or come after; move behind in the same direction:
to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to:
to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey:
to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar:
Children believe, Sons follow.
It’s not always a matter of us waiting on God. Sometimes God is waiting on us…
for our character to catch up or conform with His desires for us
for our way of life to meet up with his plans for us.
for His plans to become our plans
The people we read in the text…
I took it has they needed the 70 years to mature…..their maturity took 70 years till they became sons.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Psalm 37:23
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
The people in exile have also been calling and praying for years but God is saying there is a type of prayer that those that are ready to follow me pray that align them back to my plan that I answer.
What made me say that, the text we read, it was well laid out, there was further explanation of what and how it will happen
Jeremiah 29 vs 11 The Message
11 I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
12 “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
Another version said
12 Then you will call1 upon me and come and pray2 to me, and I will listen3 to you.
Vs 13 when you are ready to look for me wholeheartedly you will find me.
Vs 13 and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
13 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. 14 I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”
Our willingness to follow is critical to Gods plan.
Psalm 110 Verse 3. – Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.
I.e. God’s people willingness is a key ingredient in Him showing forth for them. In the full sense of the word, God can only rule over “eager” hearts. In the day of his power, his people will offer themselves happily to be his soldiers and servants.
Willingness is Listening and obeying fully Gods word…
God and His Word never change (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17).
Trying to make decisions without consulting God or His Word is like trying to find our way through a dark tunnel without a flashlight. If your heart’s desire is to please and honour the Lord in all you do and in all your decisions, it is very hard for the decision to be a bad one
Following Jesus to the latter is the most assured way to aligning ourselves with Gods plan… Looking for avenues to compromise and looking for people/prophets that will tell us what we want to hear is just slowing the journey.
Followership without reservation
Daniel 1 vs 8 New International Version
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Daniel 3 vs 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
This is not a churchgoing matter, this is a how much or how quickly is my growth in Christ aligning me to his purpose
Even way more important than our decision about which college to attend, which city to move to or what job offer to take….. is the future hope that we have of the Kingdom of God in the reign of our now and coming King Jesus.
Prayer: God so I can walk in your plan for me give me grace to follow you, to search you wholeheartedly and genuinely.
Prayer: …order my steps oh Lord guide my decisions
God has a plan for us, by Brother Tobi Akintokun, a sermon delivered on Sunday 18th January, 2015 at the Youth Service