His Plan and His Purpose

My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure…truly I have spoken, truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. Isaiah 46:10 & 11

What a passage of assurance! For those of us who sometimes question whether God has a plan for our life and whether He will accomplish anything with us, these verses are meant for us today! Just look at God’s list! He promises, “I will accomplish it, I will bring it to pass, I will do it.” What is it He accomplishes, brings to pass, and does? His purpose!

I sometimes think of God’s purpose as being the same as His plan. But there is a difference! A purpose is an intentional, determined reason. A plan is the method for achieving an end. In other words, God has a plan to bring about His purpose. He has a way of accomplishing His design for my life.

Jeremiah encourages me with this reminder from God…”For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” I know that ultimately, God is on my side. This is not to say I will not suffer. But I must understand who or what is behind the suffering.

The discomforts of this life can usually be traced back to various sources. I live in a fallen world which includes sickness, loss, death, unfairness, etc… I am a recipient of other people’s wrong choices, motives, and actions against me. I face the consequences of my own intentional or unintentional sinful choices. The enemy of my soul is seeking to destroy me. While God may allow heartache and trouble to come into my life, He is not necessarily the perpetrator of such things. As long as I choose to blame Him I will avoid turning to Him for help, comfort, and strength.

But even those things will not thwart His purpose for me. He will use everything to accomplish and bring about His intentions. My part is to simply trust, follow, and cooperate. As His child, I am in good hands.

Father, I rest in the fact that You have a purpose and a plan. May I daily sense the fulfillment of both. Amen.