What’s the Plan, God?

Duane Vander Klok

“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

Have you ever prayed: “God, what do you want me to do and where do you want me to go?” So often, we pray this prayer hoping that God would give us a short and concise bullet point list that will lead us to a relationship, job, or an ultimate life-answer. Or even more, we hope to hear His audible voice saying, “Thou Shalt do…” and fill in the blank. We wait for this amazing divine purpose, but we seek it within the parameters of our own understanding and control.

The problem is this: God doesn’t work like that. This is where our faith and confidence in Him comes into play. Faith isn’t faith if you know every single action, plan, and outcome that He has for your life. If we knew every single trial, twist, and turn, then there would be no room for us to lean into His presence, strength, and understanding. There would be no way to grow, learn, and develop into mature disciples.

So what if I told you God already answered our greatest question about what He wants us to do? In Matthew 22 we are told the two greatest commandments: love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and second to love people. Love God, and Love People. It’s that simple.

This week, let’s seek to love God with all of our heart, soul, and minds in every situation. Then, let’s ask for God to reveal the gifts and talents that He gave to each of us as individuals, and use them to love the people around us.