I know that God has plans for my life, and that he has what's best for me in mind. However, knowing that he has all the situations I am going through in his hands, that does not mean that I don't have any responsibility in where I end up. I am supposed to try to follow God's will. Knowing that everything will turn out well helps me through a lot of the hard times. In my last blog post I talked about God's Plans and how they are sovereign. Sometimes it might not seem like things are completely under control, but as long as we have faith, there is nothing we can't do.
Jeremiah 29:11 says "'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.'" God's plan for each one of us was set before we were ever formed. These are good plans. They are plans he knows we can get through with the help of God. His plans have hope. Jesus is the very definition of hope. Hope from any other source is fleeting. Jesus has given us hope for a future of everlasting life with him in heaven. God has a plan for us and if we follow his will according to his plan, when our time on earth is over, we will have the privilege of praising his name all day long. The Bible tells us that many people will willingly go down the road toward destruction and only a few will take the road to salvation. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "'Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many will enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. We will not all make it to heaven. But that doesn't mean that Jesus doesn't love us. He still died on the cross to save your sins and it breaks his heart to see his children sinning against his name and denying the forgiveness that he bought so painfully and freely gives to all people.
While I have been at college, there are many times when I have been upset about how my time is going in my classes. I have had strong doubts about what I was doing, questioning if I was going to find the right job and wondering how my life would play out. I was flat out worried. Knowing that God has a plan for me and knowing that they are good plans and knowing that he is there to help me out of any of the troubles that I may have have really helped me get through the rough times.
During my freshman year, a high school friend of mine was preparing to leave her home for the first time and go somewhere where she didn't have any friends. Knowing that I was going through something similar by starting college before any of my friends during the summer semester, she contacted me, seeking some reassuring words. What I had ended up telling her is based of of Jeremiah 29:11.
We do not know when our time on earth will be up. That's why there is no time to waste in accepting God's plan for your life and accepting the forgiveness that Jesus paid for on the cross. The forgiveness is waiting for you to accept it. It might seem like a really hard decision to make, but the rewards are so worth it.