And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
-Matthew 6:27
Welcome to Day 17 of 31 Days of Battling Anxiety with Biblical Truth!
God has plans. From the very beginning when He created this world, He had a plan. For day and night, heavens and earth, land and sea, sun and moon, birds and fish, animals and humans, He has always had a plan. And just four verses into His Word, we see that He likes His plan. He calls it good. Indeed, near the end of creation, He calls His plan very good. (Genesis 1).
His plan is good because of the purpose it will serve. It is good because of the hope it will give. It is good because of the lives it will save. But really, it is good simply because of the God who calls it so. Creation had only to be created for it to be called good.
But still, God has plans. He has them for you. He knew the span of your life before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He knows the hairs on your head, the thoughts in your mind, and the hours that you will live on this earth. He would not leave such attention to detail merely to chance. God has plans for you, and they are good.
Here are fifteen Bible verses that prove that God has plans for your life. May they fill your mind with peace and your heart with comfort as you soak up the knowledge that God’s plans for your life are not for disaster, but for hope.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. – Psalm 32:8
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way. – Psalm 37:23
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. – Proverbs 19:21
Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. – Proverbs 23:18
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. – Psalm 139:16
The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. – Isaiah 14:24
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. – Psalm 138:8
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. – Ephesians 1:4-5
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. – Psalm 37:23-24
Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:9-10
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:6
Curious about this 31 Days thing? There are hundreds of other writers joining the challenge to write every day for the month of October. The topics range from faith and inspiration to home and family to everything under the sun. Every few days during our anxiety series, I’ll be introducing you to some of these amazing writers.
Today, I’d like you to meet my friend, Malinda. Malinda and I met at She Speaks 2016 and she is quickly becoming a treasured friend. She’s writing about overcoming childhood trauma and I know God will use her to speak light mightily into the darkness.
Until tomorrow, carry on warriors.
Forgive me, but I believe we must give balance of also emphasizing our free choice. I do not think God has a completely plan for everything, for example which tea we will drink tomorrow.
Thanks,
David S. In the Galilee
(Chicago, IL)
Hi David…
Could I offer my thoughts to you? You seem earnestly seeking to understand God’s Will for your life and I think I may have been through the steps you’re going through now.
First, Jeremiah 29:11 does not question free will. It affirms it.
Meaning: You have the freedom to recognize the truth of the statement – that (a) God created you; and (b) as such, He (God) through Jeremiah is telling you He did it for a specific reason; and (c) that He (God) willingly will help you discover what that purpose is. All you need do is ask.
During that process, can you drink the brand of tea you wish? “Yes.” Can you do good things that are pleasing to the Lord? “Of course!” But, having asked, may you also willingly (free will, remember) do things that you know (probably by intuition and influence of the Holy Spirit) that are not pleasing to God? Absolutely. Yes.
What I sense you have not experienced because you sometimes need to see things from just a bigger view than the details is that if you DO NOT concern yourself with validating or refuting God’s claim based on the tea example…that you totally remain opened and most importantly, quiet, THEN (believe me) you have opened the door to God in the form of the Holy Spirit and you’ll know it. You’ll feel differently; insights will beging to pop into your mind that had never been their previously; you gain a sense of confidence about the future – not for yourself doing things alone, but rather, what you can do for God.
You see:
That step of being quiet and listening (Psalm 46:10 is crucial to enabling God to fulfill his promises to you.
I might add in closing:
That if this answer has impacted you in any way, you will find that people will begin to come into your life anew and you’ll see specifically and tangibly how God is providing.
Now, one last point:
God knows whether you’re choosing to believe. If you’re conning him – meaning saying you believe or you are willing to do so but you really have not; that you’re really trying to discredit Him – then God will not respond. In fact, you may receive the opposite of your desires.
Remember! If God knows you…cares for you…and loves you and asks only one thing: that you love him back and the ultimate expression of that is believing in His Son, Christ as your savior – if you have not ACTIVELY adopted this position in your heart and mind, can you see how God cannot be a part of evil and thus, you’ll not receive what you desire.
I hope this helps. I’ll add you to my prayer list, David.
Blessings.
MY HOUSE SALVATION NOT MARRIED YET I WANT A GOD FEAR MAN / MY HOME DEBT FREE / NO JOB / NO MONEY / IN THE FUTURE DONT WANT TO WORRY ABOUT MY INCOME IN JESUS NAME / THE STRUGGLE IS REAL / I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT THIS BAD ,AMEN
Yes, God may not choose the tea we are to drink, however, His Spirit in us directs us to make the right choice.
As people become older, they tend to form more and more questions in their minds – “What do I want to do with my life?”, “What are my long-term goals?”, and “Where is my life heading to?” These questions usually come to mind whenever a person is dealing with a life crisis. They can cause a great amount of anxiety, fear, and stress, especially when one is completely clueless about what the future holds for him or her.
Thanks for this. One correction. This verse is listed wrong. You have it as- But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” – 2 Corinthians 2:9
It actually is 1 Cor 2:9
Hi Mark! Thanks so much for catching that! I’ve updated it to show the correct verse. Blessings to you!
Hello, l love your teaching
Excellent post! Verses that can change your life forever.
To say that God has a plan is completely true. He is Sovereign and all knowing. This means, as Psalm 139 says, each day was planned before one of them came to be. Because God knows everything, He already knew your poor mistakes, your choosing of sin, and the consequences that will come to be because of these rebellious choices. He has already planned how to bring good out of our rebellion, how to bring you closer to Him through your sins. And yes, He knew which tea you would pick.
One must expand their view of God. He’s not in heaven saying, “Wow!! I didn’t see that one coming!” In fact, He’s in heaven continuing to teach, grow and draw near throughout your life, having pre-known your choices, sins, and good deeds too!!
Keep the faith!
Kris
I completely agree with what you have written. I hope this post could reach more people as this was truly an interesting post.
We all have a purpose; something destined by God for our lives. Yet to fulfill our purpose, we need to be rooted and grounded in our Faith.
I hope you can take the time to read my post as well: Fulfill the Purpose that God Has Given Us.
Great post, thank you!
Wow
Great post for my soul
1. His plan is for our salvation. 2. We are under the new covenant, not the old. 3. We have total and complete free will.
I find this useful for I was working on God’s creation his plan and omnipresence thanks so much
I’m so glad you found this encouraging, Peter!
I am really encouraged by your sharing! Thanks so much for the great insights as well! God Bless!
I’m so glad this encouraged you. Hugs!