God's Plans For Your Life

For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

One of the most fundamental yet challenging aspects of the grace walk is to live every day with an unwavering conviction that our God really is on our side. He's a God who has nothing but a zealous, active, and purposeful love for you. His constant desire is to see you enjoy Life to the fullest extent a person can know in this world.

One of the last things Jesus prayed when He was in this world was that His joy would remain in His disciples. He knew the persecution and trials they would face. He knew how troubles can threaten to shake off our joy, but He also knew that joy isn't connected to our outward circumstances. The source of joy is our eternal connection to our Heavenly Father.

The story of your life has been written in the eternal realm. It's a love story of one living in the Land of Law who is hopelessly enslaved in the prison of sin, daily tormented by the cruel prison-keeper. Then, beyond that land in the Garden of Grace, The Great King and the Price of Peace agree together that the Son will come to the wilderness of this wicked world, battle the forces of darkness, rescue the pitiful imprisoned pauper and give him a life of opulent blessing beyond anything he could have ever imagined.

This isn't a fairy tale. It's true, and it has already happened. You're living in the latter days of this story in a chapter entitled, "The New Covenant." God has redeemed you and is actively carrying out the last details of the story. During 2009, you can be assured that He is moving you further into the perfect plan He has for your life. It is a good plan with a wonderful future filled with bright hopes that He will fulfill.

Trust His goodness. Don't look to the external for your joy. The only thing it can offer is momentary happiness. Look to the Eternal, where Joy resides and never fades. God plans to do you good from this day forward and you aren't big enough to stop Him. So learn to live in the receiving mode (instead of an achieving mode) and develop the habit of thanksgiving. For eternity you will live that way so you might as well start to enjoy it now.