God Has Plans For You

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Does it seem like your life is out of control? In this season, it sure feels like it. But it’s not! God is fully in control, and all that is happening is happening under his authority. He has a way of getting our attention while bringing us to complete humility in his will.

A few years ago, God led me to study the Book of Genesis. What he showed me were the first men of creation and how God established his own will in their lives. In Genesis 3:15-19 (KJV) we see God declaring the first “I will,” pronouncing punishment on Adam, Eve and Satan, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, ‘Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

However, Noah was the first to hear God declare, “I will” with a covenant blessing. (Gen. 6:18 & 9:9-18, KJV) “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.” He continued, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, ‘This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, ‘This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”’

Every time I see a rainbow, I think, Wow! Then I remember God's covenant with Noah, who is not here anymore to see it, but we are. After his covenant with Noah was made, we see God declaring his “I will” with Abram (who God would rename Abraham) beginning in Genesis 12:1-3, (KJV), “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”’

He didn’t stop with Abraham; he went on to declare his “I will” with the other great men of Genesis and beyond.

I enjoy this opening book of the Bible because it gives me a visual understanding of God’s grace, mercy, and his will. We can clearly see that God has plans for his creation. And he has plans for you and me. The key to walking in his plans is oneness, which exemplifies obedience. Oneness is necessary if we expect to hear the voice of God and to walk in the will of God. It’s also necessary when we consider that the devil can’t rule where God reigns in our lives.

Sometimes we know the will of God, and sometimes we don’t. In my personal experience, I heard the will of God in 1991 while sitting at my desk at work, when God told me, “You’re going to write a book.” I clearly heard him, but I didn’t quite understand what he was talking about. I had never written a book, and I had no understanding of how to write one. But I believed I would write a book because he said so. So, I began trying to write a book; a sleazy romance novel. I got five chapters finished before I became very ill and went out on disability in 1993. A few years later, in 1995, while still out on disability, he spoke to me again, to write the book, but this time he directed me in what to write about and how to get started. He even told me to put up this website in 2012. However, I designed the site, then took it down. In 2019, he made it clear that I was to put up the website. "Lord, what am I supposed to put on it?" I queried.

"You have been writing for the singles on your Christian sister's website for five years, so put your messages on your website and continue writing to them," he counseled.

Do you see how easy he made it seem? It has been challenging some days, but the writing gift and the enjoyment of creating with him, makes all things possible. He is the divine architect, and we are the contractors.

I believe that if we draw close to God and listen for his leading by the Holy Spirit, he will reveal his will to us. His will in our lives represents his plans for our lives, which are a smaller part of his vast plan for humanity. God’s plans for us are personal and necessary to enjoy all the goodness of his Kingdom on Earth and in Heaven. And his plans are really his divine “do-over.”

Here are a few questions to ponder concerning God’s will for your personal and mating life.

1. Is where you are where God placed you?

2. Did you get there through righteousness or in unrighteousness?

3. What road did you travel to get there?

4. Did you leave casualties in your path?

5. Have you heard from God personally concerning his will for you?

6. Have you obeyed his will concerning you?

I only ask these questions so that I can prompt you to examine whether you are in the will of God? Or if you are not because you have been self-centered, focusing on doing your own thing and living your own way. Self-centeredness is a deterrent to hearing the voice of God. But he will speak to you and with you when you are God-centered.

I also want you to know that when God calls you to do anything; he will assist you to get it accomplished. You cannot do it in your strength, but he will assist you every step of the way to do it through you in his strength. All you need to do is:

•Trust him

•Obey his will

•Listen for his instructions

•Submit to his direction

•And act out his plans.

•Stay with your calling no matter what attacks come your way.

•Remember, Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV), “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Our intimate walk with God will get us directly into his will and into his purpose, which is his good plan for our lives. I am so incredibly grateful God has done a new thing in me and in my life, and I hope you are also enjoying God doing a new thing in you and your life.

Prayer:

Father, I desire to always be in your will. Please speak to me in a way that I can hear you. Help me lay down everything that hinders my intimate closeness with you. I submit my life to do your will. Let your perfect will perfect me and my life. And help me remember that, “I can to all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4;13, NKJV). In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.