“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 29:11
We’ve all heard the quips and Bible quotes that tell us, “God has a good purpose and plan for your life”, but do we really believe that? Do we really believe God has a good purpose for us when something or someone challenges us? Or, do we allow doubt to creep in and take over?
Once, while I was in a prolonged unemployment season, I had a job interview at a media broadcast station. The interview began cordially but then, with an abrupt change in my interviewer’s tone and demeanor, she told me the only reason I was sitting in her office was that I had some good recommendations. She said she didn’t want to interview me because I had a typo on my resume and reminded me there was no excuse for it. I sat silently as she relentlessly ranted on about my misspelled word amongst other belittling jabs, which were clearly intended to humiliate and shame me… all while my resume was in her hand. It was easy to conclude; there was only one reason I was called in for an “interview” and it wasn’t for a job.
She was right, my bad for my one letter typo. However, the station manager missed the bigger picture- she missed what was going on in the spiritual realm in that room. While she clasped my resume in hand, which represented the history of my literal God-given assignments, the enemy was at work in her words. I felt the room change. Her words summoned doubt about God’s plan for my life. The doubt was magnified, especially since I was unemployed at the time, and a seemingly dark shadow of failure appeared over my future.
I came to a crisis of belief within a matter of seconds. As soon as I got my wits together, I realized what was happening. I saw the ambush of the enemy and immediately countered it with God’s promises.
“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours
through Christ, who loved us.” Romans 8:37
We must come to a place in our lives where we fully BELIEVE and KNOW that God KNOWS His good plans for us. They are all beautifully sketched out. His design plans for each of us are according to His will and NOTHING or NO ONE can steal them from us, not unless we allow them to be taken. Our enemy has waged a war against us because we are the vessels God has chosen to express Himself through to accomplish His good plans and purposes.
When we cooperate with God and allow Him to lead us to the places He is at work in the world, we will find ourselves in the middle of great workings! The bigger our God assignment, the more attention we’ll attract from the enemy. And when he attacks, he lies. We must stand and counter his lies with God’s truth and believe His word.
So, do you really believe God has a good purpose and plan for your life?
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
