God’s Got Plans Jeremiah 29:11. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!”
-
Upload
janice-hendrickson -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
0
Transcript of God’s Got Plans Jeremiah 29:11. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!”
““God loves you and has a God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your wonderful plan for your
life!”life!”
““God loves you and has a God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your wonderful plan for your
life!”life!”Sometimes Sometimes
God’s plan is God’s plan is different than different than what we were what we were
thinkingthinking
The Jewish people have a The Jewish people have a beautiful history of Godbeautiful history of God
coming coming through for through for
them in times them in times of crisisof crisis
Exodus 3:7Exodus 3:7The LORD said, “I have The LORD said, “I have
indeed indeed seen the seen the misery of my misery of my
people in Egypt. people in Egypt. I have heard I have heard
them crying out them crying out because of their because of their
slave drivers, slave drivers, and I am and I am
concerned about concerned about their suffering.”their suffering.”
Joshua 24 Joshua 24
The Israelites The Israelites inherit the inherit the
Promised LandPromised Land
II Kings 19 - II Kings 19 - The Assyrian Army The Assyrian Army
invades Judahinvades JudahBut Hezekiah But Hezekiah prays and God prays and God comes through comes through
again!again!
597 BC 597 BC The Babylonians invade The Babylonians invade
JudahJudahThe captives The captives
think “No think “No problem, God problem, God
will come will come through as He through as He always does!”always does!”
In Jeremiah 29:1-6, He In Jeremiah 29:1-6, He basically says they are basically says they are
notnotgoing home for going home for a while…God has a while…God has
other plansother plans
Like the Jewish people in Like the Jewish people in this story – we too are this story – we too are
livinglivingin a world that is in a world that is not our home!not our home!
We learn from God’s We learn from God’s instruction to them (vs. 7)instruction to them (vs. 7)
““Also, seek the Also, seek the peace and peace and
prosperity of the prosperity of the city to which I city to which I
have carried you have carried you into exile. Pray to into exile. Pray to
the LORD forthe LORD forit, because if it it, because if it
prospers, you too prospers, you too will prosper.”will prosper.”
We are to be a blessing to We are to be a blessing to the non-Christian worldthe non-Christian world
Matthew 5:44Matthew 5:44““But I tell you: Love yourBut I tell you: Love yourenemies and enemies and
pray for those pray for those who persecute who persecute
you”you”
Jeremiah 29:10Jeremiah 29:10““This is what This is what
the LORD says:the LORD says:““When seventy When seventy years are years are
completed for completed for Babylon, I will Babylon, I will
come to you and come to you and fulfill my fulfill my gracious gracious
promise to bring promise to bring you back to this you back to this
place.”place.”
Look what God Look what God accomplished in the lives accomplished in the lives
of His peopleof His peopleduringduringthose seventy those seventy
years…years…
Look what God Look what God accomplished in the lives accomplished in the lives of His people during of His people during those those seventy years…seventy years…
#1. Shadrach, #1. Shadrach, Meshach & Meshach & AbednegoAbednego
(see Daniel 1)(see Daniel 1)
They became the best They became the best administrators that administrators that
countrycountryever hadever had
Look what God Look what God accomplished in the lives accomplished in the lives of His people duringof His people during
those seventy those seventy years…years…
#2. Daniel#2. DanielInterprets Interprets
dream, becomes dream, becomes ruler over entire ruler over entire
province of province of Babylon!Babylon!
#3. King #3. King Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar becomes a becomes a believer with believer with Daniel’s help!Daniel’s help!
#4. Jewish #4. Jewish people people could could live in peace live in peace under leadership under leadership of Daniel & of Daniel & NebuchadnezzarNebuchadnezzar
I & II Kings, I & II I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles, Jeremiah, Chronicles, Jeremiah,
LamentationsLamentationsEzekiel and Ezekiel and Daniel all were Daniel all were written during written during
this 70 year this 70 year period period
#5. Most of all…#5. Most of all…the the Jewish Jewish people people began began to realize to realize that that they needed they needed to to be right with be right with the Lordthe Lord
Jeremiah 4:18aJeremiah 4:18a
““Your own conduct Your own conduct and actions and actions have have brought this uponbrought this uponyou.”you.”
We look at the big picture We look at the big picture and see God is working and see God is working
behind behind the scenes in the the scenes in the hearts and lives hearts and lives
of the Jewish of the Jewish people, even people, even though they though they can’t see it.can’t see it.
Today, God is working Today, God is working through every event in through every event in
our lives to our lives to make us more make us more and more and more
dependent on dependent on Jesus for Jesus for
everything we everything we needneed
That brings me to verse That brings me to verse 29:1129:11
““For I know the plans I For I know the plans I havehave
for you,” for you,” declares declares
the LORD, “plans the LORD, “plans to prosper you to prosper you
and not to harm and not to harm you, plans to you, plans to give you hope give you hope and a future. ”and a future. ”
God knows the plan He God knows the plan He has for ushas for us
He sees our He sees our tomorrowstomorrows
Jeremiah says that God’s Jeremiah says that God’s plan gives us a hope and plan gives us a hope and
a futurea future
Jeremiah says that God’s Jeremiah says that God’s plan gives us a hope and plan gives us a hope and
a futurea future
As believers in As believers in Jesus, our hope Jesus, our hope and future goes and future goes far beyond the far beyond the parameters of parameters of
this lifethis life
Jeremiah 31:31aJeremiah 31:31a
““The time is The time is coming,” coming,” declares declares
the LORD,the LORD, “when I will “when I will make a new make a new covenant…”covenant…”
630 years later, God 630 years later, God ratified this new Covenant ratified this new Covenant
when He when He
sent Jesus Christ sent Jesus Christ to die on the to die on the cross for our cross for our
sins!sins!
We have the opportunity We have the opportunity to be forgiven…proving to be forgiven…proving
once againonce again
that the Word of that the Word of the Lord always the Lord always
comes truecomes true
Jeremiah 29:12-13Jeremiah 29:12-13““Then you will call upon Then you will call upon
memeand come and and come and pray to me, and I pray to me, and I
will listen to will listen to you.you. You will You will
seek me and find seek me and find me when you me when you
seek me with all seek me with all your heart.”your heart.”
God has a wonderful plan God has a wonderful plan
……it may be it may be different than different than what we were what we were
thinkingthinking