As we advance in the newness of 2011, I have never sensed so strongly in my spirit the urgency with which God is calling men and women; young and old, to respond to Him fully and completely concerning His plan for each life. You see, God has been around for quite awhile (like, forever) and He designed a plan for your life before (not after) you were born. (See Psalm 139:16) In Jeremiah 29:11 we can see that God’s desire for our future is good, not evil. Now, even though God has made such preparation for your time here in the earth, His plan for you will not “just happen”.
First of all, to carry out this wonderful plan, you must number one, discover that plan. Contrary to popular belief, you are not supposed to decide what you are going to do with your life and then ask God to bless it. You are to discover what God is asking you to do with your life, and that plan comes already blessed. It is important to realize that people can spend their whole life doing things that God never intended for them to do, and even though it’s not necessarily something bad, it’s not what God’s plan was for them and His plan is what matters. You can even successfully accomplish your own plans, but at the end of it all they will have zero eternal value. (See Psalm 127:1)
One of the best ways to discover from the Lord what His plan is for you would simply be to ask Him, like the Apostle Paul did in Acts 9:6, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” When you do that, don’t just run off and busy yourself with other things. Sit there awhile and let your body and mind quiet down enough to listen to your heart; the inner man, the real you. That is where He speaks. As you do this and His plan becomes clear to you, determine that nothing will keep you from fulfilling it; even your own desires. This may seem to be uncomfortable at first but believe me; it pays off in the long run. When it comes to fulfilling God’s plan for our life, we must realize that there are enemies to that plan and sometimes it can even be our own plan that is the enemy. (“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew16:25)
As you discover and commit yourself to God’s perfect will for your life you will soon find out that you will encounter challenges and trials meant to throw you off course. You see, the enemy knows that if we accomplish what God has called us to do it will bring MUCH FRUIT to God’s kingdom and it will cause major destruction to what the enemy is endeavoring to do. As we fulfill God’s plan it will cause people all around us to be set free and liberated from the grip of sin and deception that Satan has placed on their lives. Satan doesn’t want that so whatever he can do to make you quit, he will do it. Now don’t let that scare you from obeying the Lord; first of all, Satan is defeated.
Second, Jesus Himself told us how to respond to these challenges. John 16:33 says
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
How can we be of good cheer if we know we are going to encounter opposition? You may even be in the middle of some right now; what can cause us to stay positive as you face it? Because Jesus overcame! He’s not “going” to overcome, He already has. As you walk out God’s plan for your life, you also walk in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
You see, when you listen to Him you stay in His protection. Look at Proverbs 1:30-33
“They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
It is those who don’t listen, who do their own thing that are overtaken by destruction. But for those who listen, who follow hard after the Lord and His direction for their life, they will dwell safely, securely, and without even the fear of evil or destruction overtaking them. Right in the middle of what seems to threaten their existence, they can be bold and fearless because they know they are exactly where they are supposed to be! There is NO storm big enough to take you out! There isn’t one trap the enemy can set that will catch you, as long as you follow Him.
I believe the urgency to seek and listen to what God directs each one of us to do is because of the soon and imminent return of our Lord. He is coming so much sooner than most would realize, so if you have been, don’t waste any more time…be faithful to the plan of God!
