He Knows!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably received encouragement from Jeremiah 29:11 on more than one occasion.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

These words were originally spoken for Jewish exiles who must have believed all hope was gone. Everything they lived for had been stripped from them. Everything important to them was tied to a small strip of land near the Mediterranean Sea, a city on a sacred hilltop in that strip of land, and a temple in the city’s most prominent location. Away from their temple, city, and promised land, they were stripped of everything. And yet, into their despair, God spoke this beautiful promise.

No wonder it’s such a powerful word of encouragement, even today!

But recently as I was praying and reading Scripture, this verse came to my mind along with an interesting thought.

God not only has a plan for me. He knows the plan He has for me.

In all honesty, this verse and the thought that came with it had nothing to do with what I was reading in Scripture that morning. It was random and seemingly completely irrelevant. I still don’t know why this thought has been so powerful with me lately. But, I have learned that when my heart is open to hearing the voice of the Lord, there is no limit to the things He can bring to my mind. And, I know that there is a reason God is bringing it to my mind. So I don’t discount any such thought.

So, as this thought has persisted in my mind over the past few days, I have chewed on it and processed it.

I like to have a plan. But, there are a few truths about my plans.

1. They are tentative. Anything can change them at any point. I don’t know the future, and I don’t know all of the conditions that might affect my plans. I can do my best to create contingencies for every possible alteration, but there will always be a surprise. Always. So, my plans can never be firm.
2. They are changeable. Which is a good thing, considering the truth of #1. If I couldn’t change my plans due to unexpected circumstances, I’d be in a lot of trouble!
3. They are suggestions. Because I can’t see all possible options and because I am not the only one with opinions and ideas, I must keep my plans open to input from other people. I don’t live in a vacuum. I have a husband, children, extended family, friends, and a church to consider, among others. My plans cannot be dictatorial. They have to be fluid suggestions.

This, of course, is not an exhaustive list, but these things are some of the realities of human plans.

But not God’s plans.

And that, my friends, is the thought that dawned on me. So often, I find encouragement in the fact that God has a plan for me. But, I do not necessarily find security in it. Why? Because human plans change with circumstances. Human plans have all of the truths above and more – and none of them are stable. And, without even realizing it, I attribute the characteristics of human-made plans to God’s plans.

Look at the verse again:

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

He doesn’t just have plans for us. To just have a plan is to have that outline that needs to be flexed to fit reality. But, God goes a step further. He knows the plans that He has. Inside and out. Upside down. From start to finish. He knows every contingency. He knows every “unexpected” circumstance. He knows every up and down, curve, and long, straight, tedious road. And He is prepared for every little thing. There is no uncertainty. There is nothing unexpected. His plans are sure. They are secure. And they are perfect without any need for change, adjustment, or correction.

As you head in to this new week, may you find encouragement not only in the truth that God has a perfect plan, but that He knows it from start to finish! May you know that it is perfect and stable. And may you rest in that amazing comfort!