Plans

For those of you who don't know, I grew up in an Assembly of God church (which is sort of funny that I now attend a Methodist church. Its a tad different, let me tell you.) Every year, the pastors would gather the graduating seniors and have a ceremony deal. During the ceremony, the parents of the said seniors would pray with their child and have a scripture verse read for them. One that the parents had chosen as their "scripture promise" (they also did this during baby dedications. I'm not sure if this was particular to our church or if other churches did it, too...) Inevitably, there were always an overwhelming number of Jeremiah 29:11's.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

While its a good verse, I wondered why no one ever quoted the verses following.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (New International Version)

11 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. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."


To me, its equally as encouraging. In verse 12-God wants us to pray to him and he will LISTEN to our cries. That, to me, is so powerful. God listens to us. God listens to ME! Hallelujah, my prayers and cries do not land on silent ears!

In verse 13, it says He "will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile". While its not encouraging to think that God has placed me into exile, it is uplifting to think that he will bring us back. He will BRING US BACK!!! He will not leave us in exile. If we pray and seek Him, He will be found by us. We will find God.

It is so vital to me to know that God has a plan for my life. I have been in exile, but he rescue me and he has a PLAN. He will lead me and guide me.

Psalm 32:8
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.


I don't know if any of you follow McMamma, but she had this post about a verse in Proverbs. Her little boy is in the hospital with a very serious heart condition. I'm so uplifted by her strength and faith in God through this horribly scary time. The verse is:

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."

I've been thinking on this verse today as I prepared to post about receiving my Ovidrel in the mail today. While I can make plans to, hopefully, have a successful pregnancy, only God determines my steps. We have planned our course, but its really up to Him. But, I'm encouraged that its not only up to Him, its planned by him. its not just God sitting back, looking at our plan saying "well, that's a crappy plan" and so it flops. He has his OWN plan. One I haven't the faintest clue about, but its there. He has a plan for my life and the life of my children.