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Finding God’s Plan
for 2012:Ending Frustration
(Proverbs 29:18)
I. It is sometime difficult to find God’s plan because we so are enamored with our own.
A. Our plans are easier. God’s plan is better.
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
(Jeremiah 29:18 NIV).
God, having provided some better
thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect
(Hebrews 11:40).
B. Our plans often
fail. God’s plan never fails
(Ps. 33:11; Pro. 15:21;
Dan. 4:35; Isa. 14:24).
The counsel of the LORD stands for
ever, the thoughts of his heart to all
generations.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails
(NIV).
He does according to His will in
the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain
His hand or say to Him,
“What have You done?
The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying,
Surely as I have thought,
so shall it come to pass;
and as I have purposed, so
shall it stand (Isaiah 14:24).
Remember the former things of old:
for I am God, and there is none else;
I am God, and there is none like me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are
not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure
(Isaiah 46:9-10).
C. Our plans are mostly temporal.
God’s plans are for eternity
(2 Corinthians 4:18).
While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are
eternal.
II. We can get our plans
from God so lets give up ours in favor of His
(John 15:15
Pro. 16:1)
Then David gave to Solomon… the plans
for all that he had by the Spirit,
of the courts of the house of the LORD,
of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of
the treasuries for the dedicated things
(1 Chronicles 28:12).
Henceforth I call you not servants; for
the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:
but I have called you friends; for
all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you
(John 15:15).
The preparations of the heart in
man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the
LORD
(Proverbs 16:1) Mortals make elaborate plans, but God
has the last word (Message Bible).
III. Steps in finding God’s plan for 2012.
Repent!
And then….
A. Make God’s purpose your major purpose in life
(Romans 8:28).
1. To love God with all your heart, mind, and strength
(Matthew 22:37).
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
2. To become like Jesus Christ
(1 Corinthians 11:1)
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am
of Christ.
B. Make your personal plans based on God’s purpose first
(Mt. 6:33)
and remember to:
1. Pray before you plan
(Jeremiah 33:3).
Then pray some more.
2. Learn the power of what it means to seek God
(Jeremiah 29:13)
And ye shall seek me and find me
when you seek for me with your whole
heart!
3. Ask yourself, Will this plan bring glory to God?
If so, how?
Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God
(1 Cor. 10:31).
4. Expect God to work in you to will and to do His good pleasure
(Philippians 2:13).
As you have always obeyed …work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
5. Be prepared to make divine adjustments to your
plan.
A man's heart plans his way: but the LORD
directs his steps
(Proverbs 16:9).
6. After you have planned your work, work your plan as unto the Lord
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as
to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24).
Some of our most important dreams are the ones we abandon. Some of our most important goals are the ones we don’t attain. Sometimes, our most important journeys are the ones that we take to the winding conclusion of what seem to be dead-end streets. Thankfully, with God there are no dead-ends; there are only opportunities to learn, to yield, to trust, to serve, and to grow.
Finding God’s Plan
for 2012:Ending Frustration
(Proverbs 29:18)
I. It is sometime difficult to find God’s plan because we so are enamored with our own.
A. Our plans are easier. God’s plan is better.
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
(Jeremiah 29:18 NIV).
God, having provided some better
thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect
(Hebrews 11:40).
B. Our plans often
fail. God’s plan never fails
(Ps. 33:11; Pro. 15:21;
Dan. 4:35; Isa. 14:24).
The counsel of the LORD stands for
ever, the thoughts of his heart to all
generations.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails
(NIV).
He does according to His will in
the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain
His hand or say to Him,
“What have You done?
The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying,
Surely as I have thought,
so shall it come to pass;
and as I have purposed, so
shall it stand (Isaiah 14:24).
Remember the former things of old:
for I am God, and there is none else;
I am God, and there is none like me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are
not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure
(Isaiah 46:9-10).
C. Our plans are mostly temporal.
God’s plans are for eternity
(2 Corinthians 4:18).
While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are
eternal.
II. We can get our plans
from God so lets give up ours in favor of His
(John 15:15
Pro. 16:1)
Then David gave to Solomon… the plans
for all that he had by the Spirit,
of the courts of the house of the LORD,
of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of
the treasuries for the dedicated things
(1 Chronicles 28:12).
Henceforth I call you not servants; for
the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:
but I have called you friends; for
all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you
(John 15:15).
The preparations of the heart in
man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the
LORD
(Proverbs 16:1) Mortals make elaborate plans, but God
has the last word (Message Bible).
III. Steps in finding God’s plan for 2012.
Repent!
And then….
A. Make God’s purpose your major purpose in life
(Romans 8:28).
1. To love God with all your heart, mind, and strength
(Matthew 22:37).
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
2. To become like Jesus Christ
(1 Corinthians 11:1)
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am
of Christ.
B. Make your personal plans based on God’s purpose first
(Mt. 6:33)
and remember to:
1. Pray before you plan
(Jeremiah 33:3).
Then pray some more.
2. Learn the power of what it means to seek God
(Jeremiah 29:13)
And ye shall seek me and find me
when you seek for me with your whole
heart!
3. Ask yourself, Will this plan bring glory to God?
If so, how?
Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God
(1 Cor. 10:31).
4. Expect God to work in you to will and to do His good pleasure
(Philippians 2:13).
As you have always obeyed …work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
5. Be prepared to make divine adjustments to your
plan.
A man's heart plans his way: but the LORD
directs his steps
(Proverbs 16:9).
6. After you have planned your work, work your plan as unto the Lord
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as
to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24).
Some of our most important dreams are the ones we abandon. Some of our most important goals are the ones we don’t attain. Sometimes, our most important journeys are the ones that we take to the winding conclusion of what seem to be dead-end streets. Thankfully, with God there are no dead-ends; there are only opportunities to learn, to yield, to trust, to serve, and to grow.