What is God’s Plan For Your Future?
Confusing isn’t it? Being Churchgoers, we’ve heard that God has a great plan for us to the point that our ears tingle. The question is, how do we know what it is?
Does he want me to start a business? Okay, what kind of business do you want me to start God? Do you want me to get into writing? Please show me what you want me to write about.
This seemed like a never-ending cycle, I would ask God about this, do a little bit of it and think maybe that it’s not for me and try another. Every time I stopped, I made an excuse saying maybe that this isn’t what God had in mind.
So I had to have one-on-one time with God. I went away from all the noise of my environment and traveled to a place with just myself and my Bible where all I could hear was the sound of birds in the morning and frogs at night.
I asked him, and he answered. I wanted to share what God had spoken to me so you too, may find what God’s purpose for you is in your life.
Step 1: How Do You Define God’s Kingdom?
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33
This is from the famous passage from Matthew where God teaches the disciples not to worry about what we should eat, what we should wear. Jesus assures God will provide everything for you if you seek his kingdom and his righteousness first.
Maybe we’re not exactly worrying about what we should eat or wear, but we might be worried about our future. What if I don’t become successful? What if I can’t get married? What if my friends are speaking ill about me?
But God promises us through this verse that he knows everything that we need, and he will provide for all our needs if we seek his kingdom and his righteousness first.
So I asked myself, what is his kingdom and his righteousness?
The core message of the Bible is this. God loved us so much that he was willing to send his only son to die for our sins while we were still sinners.
Imagine someone criticizing you falsely for what you have not done. You meet him on the streets before the streetlights. The light turns green and he starts crossing the road. Uh oh, he is unaware of the bus that's heading towards him at a fast speed.
He is about to die, would you push him out of the way to save his life to give up yours?
Jesus did, and on top of that, he asked God to forgive those who sinned against him for they didn’t know what they’re doing.
As true Christians, we’re called to be disciples of Jesus, and what that means is, we are to follow in his footsteps. This is to love one another as Jesus did.
Imagine a world where everyone loved one another to the point they could die for each other.
That was how I imagined God’s kingdom would look like.
Please ponder upon this question before moving on. How do you imagine his kingdom to be like?
Step 2: Where Did God Place You To Make a Change?
A house is built by laying one brick at a time.
This is the same with God’s kingdom. We have the promise that his kingdom will come. As children of God, we’re all called to work for it.
1. Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2. but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither —
whatever they do prospers.
Psalm 1: 1–3
From this verse I want to highlight “who meditates on his law day and night”, and “whatever they do prospers”. Let's dissect these verses a little bit.
What does meditating on his law day and night mean?
This means when we get a word from God, we think about what it means day and night.
Let's say we meet Bill Gates to get advice on running a software business. Will we not keep a note of what he says and try to apply it to ours? Will we not keep his advice at the back of our minds, and remind ourselves again and again?
Then how much more important is a word directly from God himself? Especially if this verse promises that whatever we’ll do will prosper.
Now I want to be careful here not to mislead you into thinking that God will grant you every wish like a genie. We must question our motives, but this is another topic.
But for now, let us remind ourselves that wherever we are, God has placed us here for a reason. Think about an area in your life where you need God to work right now. Is it work? your family? relationship between your friends?
Wherever you are, God placed you there for his Kingdom, and I am certain that God has something to say about it. Meditate on his word and ask the spirit to reveal to you why the word came to you today as you ponder upon its meaning.
Ask him in your prayer as if God is right next to you. This takes a bit of time to get the hang of but once you do, you will be
like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season,
and whose leaf does not wither,
and whatever you do will prosper
Now we must be careful to truly understand the meaning behind the word prosperity in the Bible.
It means prosperity not just in monetary terms, but as a family member, perhaps as a mother who takes care of her family; or as a friend who your friends love hanging around with; or you could be an author who people find inspiration and encouragement from your writing.
All in all, I define it as someone who brings Godly values and makes the lives fruitful to the people they’re serving.
Step 3: Ask, Believe and Act According To His Will
Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.
Joshua 14:12So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.
Joshua 14:14
Let’s Consider Caleb’s faith.
Caleb remembered that God had promised him the hill country, and he asked mightily for it. He knew that our God is a faithful God who never fails to keep his promises.
But from the below verse, we see that God blessed Caleb “because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly”.
Bible emphasizes that Caleb was able to receive God’s promise because he followed God, just like how Psalm 1 mentions that prosperity will be given to those “who meditates on his law day and night”. We see that God’s promise of receiving the reward of fruitfulness is much like a by-product of faithful obedience.
In remembrance of the destructiveness of our sins in accomplishing God’s purpose, let us remember that one man’s sin prevented the whole of Israel from conquering the fortress of Ai from the below verse. Although this was from the old testament when sin had to be dealt with more harshly.
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.
Joshua 7:10–15
But After Jesus, let us remember our sins have already been forgiven. This means that God doesn’t see us as sinners, but he sees us as the righteousness of God in Christ.
When we know we have sinned, we just have to believe that in faith and return to God with full confidence that he is waiting for us with open arms. Of course, we must deeply repent of our sins before we do that. (Just felt like I had to clarify this because times have changed since the old testament)
Ask God to bring his kingdom wherever you are! Meditate on his words and he will make you prosper.
