We ve all wondered why we are here on earth, what God s plan is for us here. I In fact we probably wonder about this quite often.

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1 I know the plans I have for You We ve all wondered why we are here on earth, what God s plan is for us here. I In fact we probably wonder about this quite often. This morning I want to look at 2 areas: 1) Gods plan for you as a person 2) God s plan for you in the world So let s start with Gods plan for us as a person: Here are a few of life s biggest questions: Lord, what is it that you want me to do with my life? Lord, what should I study? Lord, who should I marry? Lord, where should I live? Lord, should I take this job Lord, when should I retire Lord what should I do when I retire We all have the potential to worry about Gods plan for our life to the point where it distracts us from his plan for our life. I remember asking all these questions, waiting for the Lord to show me the plan, the blue print But it never seems to work out that way It brings to mind this question: Is God intimately involved in my life? Or does he watch from a distance? Answer: Personally, I believe God is extremely concerned about the intricacies of our lives, but I also believe that there isn t one blue print that if we break, we ve missed it. I don t believe there s only one person in the world who we could have married, one thing we could have studied for. God gives us the freedom of choice You can be a teacher, a lawyer, a musician, an accountant, a PA, a stay at home mom, or dad, and still be walking in Gods plan for your life. Let s see what the Bible says about this: Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. These scriptures are very encouraging very consoling.. Sometimes I wish that the Bible was more directive. Like a section for each of our lives: With a section in for each of our lives: God s plan for Tristan, God s plan for Brad, Gods plan for you.

2 But then what would be the point of trusting God and learning to hear his voice? You see..what s most important to God is not that we chose to right carreer, besides, millenials change jobs 4 times by the age of 32 on average. Whats most important to God is that we learn to know Him, and not just about Him. That we fall more and more in love with Jesus. God s plan is not about a destination, it s about a journey. That we walk with him one day at a time. Gods plans are revealed in the in s and outs of life. Sometimes I think we re waiting for the big break. When perhaps God is saying, hey, just love what you re doing here. Just be faithful. Jenn Johnson from Bethel Church says: If you re knocking and a door isnt opening, then keep doing the last thing that God called you to. We should Seek God, and all the other stuff will follow. The clues to Gods desire for our life, are in how he has created us. If you want to Know God s plan for your life, then look at what your passions are, your giftings, what you love to do. These might not always work out to ideal jobs. For instance, have you seen any job postings recently for a smoothie taster for Kuaui, like that was your job! Or being a Travel reviewer of top hotels? Although we may never have these jobs, God has given us all giftings! I believe God says: What s your passion? What have I placed in your life? God wants to use you, in your surroundings. He wants to use you in church. Maybe you ve been sitting for in church for so long, but you ve never got involved! We can think that our best years are finished, God wants to use us until our dying breath So here the verse that you ve probably all been wodering why I haven t mentioned it yet.. It s probably the most well known verse about Gods plans for our lives: Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 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. (AMP) 11 For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you, says the LORD, plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope. If God knows the plans he has for you, then get to know God. Get to know his heart, his nature, grow close to him. If you think you ve missed it, you haven t, because it says: I know the plansssssss. If you mess up here, I have a plan for you. His plans are numerous, countless, BOX ILLUSTRATION: Sometimes we think like this. Ok God so many plans for me, but they re running out. In God s box there are infinite plans

3 But you have to take those plans and write on them, use them. It starts by spending time with God and learning to hear his voice and his promptings in your life! So let s look at God s plan for us in the world This scripture speaks of way more than just our personal desires: The Israelites were in a similar place.. I have never read Jeremiah 29:11 in the context of Chapter 29. The people of Israel had been captured and they had been taken into captivity! A letter to the exiles 4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." 10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 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. 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." The Israelites were in exile, their country had been destroyed, They had been shipped to another country. Think of the Syrian crisis that s been going on for years So God comes to say: I haven t forgotten about my people, I haven t forgotten about you There is so much negativity around our country and I m tired of negativity, it only produces stress and worry. I start thinking about my future here, and depression. 1) God is calling us to continue to pray and contend for our land

4 2) God is calling us to speak life into our country! Proverbs 11:11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. I m not saying that we musn t be concerned for our country, that we musn t be aware of whats going on. It s what we re saying! Instead of saying: Ah, this country is so racist, pray and act in the opposite spirit 3) God s heart is that we love everyone equally Bradley Jones posted this on Facebook a few months ago: You can see your heart by how you treat the secret people in your life. The secret people are those that have no voice, those that don't know you, those that you may never see again. From the telesales person to the teller as the shops. Sometimes even those closet to us like our spouse and kids. A sobering reminder that I need Jesus daily to truly express his love to all people. No one was put on this earth to be your venting bag, not even telesales. I m am so tired of negativity; it produces no good fruit in me. I encourage you to watch less news, have less conversation s about how bad things are. Bill Johnsons quote: What must I do with my life? Heal the sick, Drive out demons, raise the dead, and love people. And then what? Heal the sick God s plan for in the world is to add flavor! We make the difference, we add the hope. Close with the Salt: Matt 5:13-16 Salt and Light 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Different Salts.

5 We re all called to be salt. (We re all called to walk with God, to love others) But we re all different salts (We re all different, and have different passions and giftings) We add different flavours in the church, in the world As long as we re adding salt. People need salt every day. The shop tellers need, our school friends need, our lecturers as varsity need, our family need, our work colleague s need, our enemies need. If you ve given your life to Jesus and you re confused about what your role is in this world, so me clarify it, you re salt! We re all salt you just need to find out what kind of salt you are! So what s God s desire for your life? yes that you prosper, yes that you live a full life using your giftings and talents. That there are new plansssss for your life every day. But the biggest thing to him, is that we are walking closer and closer Him, loving others. Think of the self that God has given as an acorn. It is a marvelous little thing, a perfect shape, perfectly designed for its purpose, perfectly functional. Think of the grand glory of an oak tree. God s intention when He made the acorn was the oak tree. His intention for us is the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Many deaths must go into our reaching that measure, many letting-goes. When you look at the oak tree, you don t feel that the loss of the acorn is a very great loss. The more you perceive God s purpose in your life, the less terrible the losses seem. Elisabeth Elliot Lets Fill up your salt shaker and Sprinkle it out.