God’s Plans for Us
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. (Colossians 1:13–14)
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;
Therefore, I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:21–24)
What is God’s agenda for us? What does He want for us this afternoon, tomorrow morning, or next week? Well, His plans for us are clearly set forth. He wrote them originally for Israel, but they apply to us too.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen.” (Jeremiah 29:11–12)
Isn’t that wonderful? “I have plans for you, My son, My daughter,” God says. “And they are great plans. Plans for your welfare and not for your calamity. Plans to give you a future and a hope.” It is God’s agenda that His people never lose hope. Each new dawn it’s as if He smiles from heaven, saying, “Hope again . . . hope again!”
Right now you may be waiting for something from the Lord. Matter of fact, most people I meet are in some sort of holding pattern. (I certainly am!) They have something on the horizon that they’re trusting God for. (I certainly do!) And their hope is not misplaced. He is good to those who wait for Him. He is good to those who seek Him. We have nothing to fear. And we certainly have no reason for living each day crushed by guilt or shame.
Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn’t sit in heaven with His jaws clenched, His arms folded in disapproval, and a deep frown on His brow. He is a loving Father, and we are precious in His sight, the delight of His heart. After all, He “has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:12 NASB). Think of it! He’s put us in His inheritance!
Remember that the next time you think God is coming down on you. You have reason to give thanks. You don’t have to qualify yourself for His kingdom. His grace has rescued you. He has already qualified you by accomplishing a great deliverance in your life.
Taken from Hope Again by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1996 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com
