Wednesday, October 17, 2007

God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life

And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab. And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them. And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.
(2Ch 22:7-9)

We see here God’s “Wonderful Plan” for Ahaziah. The scripture says that the destruction of Ahaziah was “of God.” In other words, God providentially ordained Ahaziah’s destruction.

Consider this:
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
(Rom 9:21-22)

So, how then, can I make the claim, “God has a wonderful plan for your life?” We must ask ourselves this: It is “wonderful” according to whose purpose? You see, God is not a created being put here on behalf of man. Rather, we are created beings put here on behalf of and by God. We know that all of God’s plans are just, and that all of God’s plans and purposes *will* be fulfilled. Man is not able to thwart the will and purpose of God.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
(Rev 15:3)

God’s ways are not our ways. If we had our way, we would always be happy, healthy, and wealthy. There’s nothing wrong with desiring health for ourselves and our loved ones. Likewise, abundance is generally much less nerve racking than poverty. Yet, we should be careful never to let these human desires for health and wealth trump our desires toward God.

Let us have the attitude of Job as he strived to “maintain his own ways,” he still placed utter trust in God, and in His sovereign plan for Job.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
(Job 13:15)

The next time you hear a mega church or TV preacher declaring “God has a wonderful plan for your life…” take it with a grain of salt. There’s likely a bit of deception in his message. What he wants you to think is that “God really wants to bless you, if you will only let Him. One way you can let Him, is to ‘sow seed’ into my ministry.” Rest assured that the most likely person to “get rich” with this “plan” is the preacher himself.

When thinking of your material needs, let us look at Paul’s response to such matters.

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
(Php 4:12)

The secret is contentment in your circumstances. Holiness is not determined by your success or your poverty. It is not determined by your health or your sickness.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(Mat 6:33)

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