“God has a plan for me” Or does He?

“God has a plan for each of us.” “Don’t worry, God has a plan for your life” “It’s all part of God’s special plan for you”

Jeremiah 29:11 NASB “11 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.” NKJV “11 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.”

Verse 11 is encouragement that God will still be with them Jeremiah 29 is a Specific Prophecy to the part of the nation of Israel that had gone into captivity in Babylon. V.4 God told them not to resist the Babylonians, but to submit and they would be returned in 70 years. V.10 Verse 11 is encouragement that God will still be with them

Proverbs 16:1-3 Preparations of the heart belong to man – V.1 Ways of a man are pure in his own eyes – V.2 V.9 – Man’s heart plans his way

“God’s plan is for me to be successful and happy.” No it is not! God’s will is for you to Seek Him [Hebrews 11:6] and live in His Image [Romans 8:29] This is the Same for EVERYONE!

Problem with God’s Individual & Unique Plan for Everyone: It implicitly Condemns All people for whom life is an endless walk of hardship & suffering What happened to “God’s Plan” for Their Lives?

IF a Person Grows Up: Poor & Without a Family Lives a life characterized by pain and deprivation BUT Rejoices in his Service to God through Jesus Christ- Bible says he is better off than any materially rich man!

Does Not Mean Christians Do Not Have a Hope Acts 23:6 “hope & resurrection of the dead” Acts 24:15 “hope in God” Acts 26:6,7 “hope of the promise made by God” Romans 15:2 “In Him Gentiles shall hope” Colossians 1:5 “hope which is laid up for your in heaven” Titus 1:2; 3:7 “hope of eternal life” Hebrews 6:17-20 “hope…anchor of the soul” 1 Peter 1:3 “living hope” 1 Peter 3:15 “the hope that is in you”

Cannot Find That Some Promise/s made to Any Individual Exclusively Made to ALL those who are God’s people - Christians NO individual Predestination NO promise made to You, Personally and Specifically “Hope” in these passages is promised for God’s people – ALL CHRISTIANS – not to any one, particular individual

What is Wrong with using Jeremiah 29:11 this way? Paints an incorrect picture of God and how He deals with mankind Not One Instance of God working and intervening in the life of an individual where the actions or the individual were not part of the overall plan of God’s Salvation for Mankind Psalm 105:16-22; Genesis 45:5; 15:13,14; 12:3

Real Issue is Human Free Will “God’s Plan for Our Lives” Generally means one of two things: 1. God has mapped out a specific path for your life that will be followed to the absolute letter. 2. God has an end goal that you are destined to reach, and a plan for how you get there, but if you fall off the path, He’ll just map an alternate route and get you back on track

Neither Reconciles with Free Will FIRST option: no real choices, all decisions predetermined – actually a passenger in our own lives SECOND option: our choices are ultimately meaningless, since whatever we decide to do, we’ll get to the same place in the end.

“What about the Prophets “What about the Prophets? Surely God had a specific plan for their lives?” NO! God had a specific CALLING for their lives. A CALLING is a specific task that God wants you to do Jonah – to preach to Nineveh Ezra – lead Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem

BUT: “Should you study medicine or engineering?” is UP TO YOU! Proverbs 16:2 – God is interested in HOW and WHY you do things – not so much what you actually do. The Bible does Not teach that God has a specific person in mind for you to marry – too many “marriages made in Heaven” end in Divorce

Why do so many Cling to the idea of “God’s plan for our lives?” “Don’t have to worry about choices in our lives!” NOT HOW IT WORKS! Ask God for Guidance – BUT: Our wills are Ultimately FREE Must accept CONSEQUENCS!

God wants you to make good choices & live a godly life – draw close to Him & be reconciled with Him If you want to really know what God wants from your life: Micah 6:8 “…what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”