As we move into the morning of a first day in the new year, we start first, thinking about what lies ahead and then start planning to make it better than it was in the last year. The state of despair and darkness all around fills us with dread about the uncertainties. When success of our plans seems difficult, with no hope of any help from any quarters on the earth, we look towards God, the only hope in any problem. Then we start submitting our plans and future cares on the One who cares for us.
How should we plan for the coming year in these unpredictable times? ‘A man’s heart plans his ways, but the LORD directs his steps’ (Proverbs 16:9). Made in the image of God, like Him, we plan for our future but we should never think that we can execute these plans with our own ability only. We are not in control and lord of our lives, and every plan must be brought before God in humility to be surrendered to His final and ultimate will. The heart may devise a plan for evil or good but no one can step outside the control of God. We think, consult and plan but the Lord uses His power and authority to overrule or further our moves.
God has sent everyone into the world with certain talents that He desires to be used to fulfil His plans. Our job is to identify our gift and use it to represent Him before others through our words and deeds. Our LORD has declared to all of mankind, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29:11). God as a loving Father desires the best for His children and everything was created for Adam and Eve to lead a life of joy in God, before they were created. God’s plan for us is to bless us to live in close fellowship with Him and enjoy all the benefits of that. God did not want Adam and Eve to leave the Garden of Eden but it was their act of disobedience that caused it to happen.
God blessed Adam after creating him in His own ‘image and likeness’ and this blessing is for all believers who are restored to fellowship with Him. The blessing is ‘be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it’ and this is about a family jointly carrying out their God given assignment, like Noah, his three sons and their wives did. Adam had the ability within himself to face the devil and his evil tricks with application of the guidance and power of God’s Word. Noah had many reasons to not undertake the task of preparing the ark; there never was rain on the earth before that for the earth was irrigated by the water under the surface. Also, they lived far from the sea to float the ark. The size was too big; 440 feet long, 72 feet wide and 43 feet high, with three decks, and the whole family worked for 120 years despite all this, without getting discouraged.
God chose the twelve disciples to be the messengers of His Gospel of salvation to mankind and they were of diverse backgrounds. Peter and Andrew, his brother; John and James, his brother; were the four fishermen from Galilee. They owned businesses and John had access to the palace of the High Priest, for he knew him (John 18:15). Thomas, Nathanael and Philip may also have been fishermen for they were met by the Risen Lord while they were out fishing with the others (John 21:2 & 8). Simon, the zealot was a revolutionary or a politician. Judas Iscariot was probably a trader, but turned out to be a thief, for he was given the purse or the money-bag of Lord Jesus’ ministry. Matthew, a Levite, was a tax-collector and a rich man. No information is given in the Scriptures about Bartholomew, Thaddaeus or James. They were not chosen for any specific qualifications that they had, but for their willingness to follow the Lord and His plan for their lives. They did not plan to be known by innumerable people all over the world.
The very fact that I and you were born during these difficult times, God must have equipped us with special traits to bear the fruit, after being grafted into the ‘True Vine’, His Beloved Son. The only name of God revealed by Himself from the Burning Bush is ‘I AM WHO I AM’ (Exodus 3:14). He was, He is and He will always be God who does not change before whom all is revealed. Such a mighty God has a plan for me and that fills me with great joy and hope and I look to align my plans for my life with His plan for me. In a world where plans keep changing due to situations around us, His plan is firm and I can trust in His will. With this confidence I seek His guidance, and surrender to His purpose where there is no uncertainty or fear of failure.
Understanding and living by God’s plan for us – Apostle Paul has taught us to ‘live by faith and not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7). We celebrated Christmas in faith in the Saviour, whom we have not seen but we believe the Gospel. After man was moved out of the Garden of Eden, he wanted a God he could see and manipulate to meet his needs and numerous gods were created all over the world from the visible created things. The world pushes us to follow its values but we look unto the Invisible God and pursue a life of submission to Him and His truth as revealed in the world. We are ‘not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God’ (Romans 12:2). This renewing of the mind happens through the study, meditating upon and living the Word of God as led by His Spirit. Then our thoughts, desires and actions start being aligned with His will and we start doing that. Then we are assured that ‘it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure’ (Philippians 2:13).
God’s desire for mankind is seen in His Word but man attempted and still tries to create a ‘Tower of Babble’ to reach God and heaven with our own efforts or perceived ‘good works’. The Saviour Lord was well aware of the situations we face in our lives and assured us, ‘I will not leave you orphans; (John 14:18 & 26). He had repeatedly warned us about the tricks of the devil and to face these, He has blessed us with the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is our ‘Helper’, to teach us ‘all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I (Lord Jesus) said to you’. All this is for us to learn about God’s good purpose for our lives so that we can plan accordingly to fulfil that in our lives. Even if we plan something wrong, He blesses us by guiding us into His plan and will. In this manner, then, we undergo inward change in our hearts and minds rather than an outward change only.
Towards this end we must realise, firstly, that God’s plan for us is good. Prophet Jeremiah preached his message to the Israelites during their captivity in Babylon to remind them about God’s plan of ‘future and hope’ and not of harm for them. We see God’s work in us like the work of a master weaver, whose work looks chaotic with loose threads all around, but the final result is always marvellous. We must occasionally look back in our lives to understand His working, during the challenges we faced to bring good in all that. Then, we are filled with this assurance that what is before us now is also under the control of that same God.
Secondly, God works as per His timing which is perfect in every aspect. We want everything to happen right now and desire answers to our prayers immediately, but God is aware of His overall plan. All events form part of a chain with each link affecting the next and likewise the whole chain. His Son waited for thirty years to start His work of salvation of mankind. He was destined to be ‘Wonderful, counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6). Like a seed planted in the earth must grow to give fruit, Lord Jesus was also subject to His parents and then, He ‘increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men’ (Luke 2:52). We also must accept delays as opportunities to grow in faith and dependence on God.
Thirdly, it all depends on us, for God requires us to participate, to make His plans come true. God provides direction but we must learn, understand and follow that to reach the intended destination for us. As per Scripture, ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:3). Every spiritual blessing includes all gifts of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, strength and empowerment. These are available here on earth and extend into the spiritual realm. We receive these through a close relationship with the Saviour Lord through prayer and submission. We position ourselves into a state of confidence and peace in this way, knowing that the One who controls everything, thinks, plans and leads me into that.
Retaining focus during dark and difficult times – Even before Saul became Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, God’s plan for him was altogether different. Ananias, the messenger to him from God, was clearly told, ‘I will show him how many things he must suffer My name’s sake’ (Acts 9:16). Yet, the Apostle told the Corinthian church about his sufferings, ‘we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life’ (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). But then he clarified the purpose of that darkness, ‘that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead’. He and his companions had to move to Lystra due to great opposition from the Jews in Iconium. However, the Jews followed him, ‘stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead’ (Acts 14:19). Yet he rose up and continued his work of preaching the message of salvation in Lord Jesus in other places.
To achieve this state of mind; first, he renewed his mind by avoiding conformity to the traditions of this world. He was a Pharisee, yet he became a true and committed follower of the Lord, ready to face any odds. Many times, the cause of our suffering’s rests with us in our wrong choices causing financial losses, strained relationships and isolation. Job, a righteous man, suffered greatly and cried out, ‘Oh, that the Almighty would answer me’ and God did not get angry with him for this (Job 31:35). His three friends were warned by God, ‘for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has’ (Job 42:8).
Second, speak out. We hide our true feelings from others for fear of offending them. However, this is not so with God, who is willing to hear all the complaints that we have and then reveal His plan for us. We must remember that God revealed His love for us in His Son not when we were righteous and following God but ‘while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8).
Third, seek God’s sign/direction for your situation. When darkness of sin was all over the earth the wise men saw the Morning Star in the sky and travelled long distances to worship Him in the form of a Child (Matthew 2:11). In any situation God is always keeping an eye on us to help us. After feeding the five thousand families, Lord Jesus sent the disciples in the boat, while He went to a mountain to pray (Mark 6:46-52). The Saviour while in close fellowship with His and our Father in heaven, on the mountain, did not take His eyes off the disciples in the boat facing the storm. To rescue and help them, ‘He came to them, walking on the sea’. And we are assured that He as our High Priest in heaven intercedes for us and is also keeping an eye on us to lead us out of our storms into new beginnings.
Four, shun old ways and be renewed. We are a new creation in our Redeemer, for He is in us and what we did in the past we stop to follow Him and not the ways of the devil. In this newness, ‘we have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him’ (Colossians 3:10). The natural world sees success as being god of our own life through wealth, self-exaltation and material comforts. The newness leads us into being a blessing to others, in loving our neighbour as ourselves, in ‘thanking Him in everything’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Then, we counter every thought with the power of His living Word and bring it into obedience to God’s will for He will exalt us to a place He has already decreed in His time. True transformation starts in us when we are ‘renewed in the spirit of your mind’ (Ephesians 4:23). This happens through submission of my plans to His plans with this assurance that His plan is the best plan for me. It is not that I do not make plans for the future but I submit these to Him. Then I live as if all depends on God to fulfil the plans but I works equally hard as if its success depends on me alone, working hard with my soul aligned to Him.
Five, live in God’s will. Having done all this, our renewed minds act differently and get equipped to discern God’s will. Then we live to ‘prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God’ (Romans 12:2). It is not about what is acceptable as per ways of the world, but as per the standards of heaven as revealed by the Lord. Then, we start tracing the origin of our thoughts, the people we associate with, the media or other influences and shift our focus towards the Scriptures. The daily study and meditation on the Word of God takes precedence over other things and the pattern of our thoughts starts confirming to what is acceptable to Him and not the world.
God told Moses to not cry to Him but use the power and authority given to him to part the sea and get all the people across (Exodus 14:15-16). As per legend, the sea did not part at first and nobody moved forward except Nahshon, of the tribe of Judah. He went in to the water and when the water reached up to his face and he was about to drown, suddenly the waters parted in line with his faith. The LORD provided the way to cross the River Jordan, which was flooded, through the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant and they were to stand in the river. At this the river parted and the waters stopped ‘in a heap far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan’.
Why was a different approach adopted by God in this case, when in both cases waters were parted? Leaving Egypt the Israelites needed to see the power of God through miraculous works performed through Moses to believe in Him. However, they received the Torah, the first Five Books of the Holy Bible in the wilderness and knew God and His ways, as expressed for mankind to follow. Entering the Promised Land, they needed the presence of God moving before them to conquer the nations that occupied Canaan. They were to move with faith in the presence of God, they knew, to be victorious. As we enter the New Year, we also must commit our ways to Him and submit to His presence to be enabled to face the uncertainties of the future. In addition, we are also expected to reach out to others with the message of His love expressed through His Son so that God the Holy Spirit can then move them also into a state of blessedness.
Anyone who does not make plans for his future is like the one who tries to walk straight with a cloth tied over his eyes. But the one who makes plans and trusts in his own ability to fulfil them, trusts in the darkness than in the light. We must plan such plans that are wholly dependent on God for their fulfilment and success. Everyday we must strive to achieve great heights of success, in all spheres of life, through His glory and might.
