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God's Plan for You
by Toni Babcock The Bible tells us Jesus came to "bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isaiah 61:1b KJV). Jesus is calling you to believe on Him. Think of Jesus as the perfect Counselor, better than any other counselor on earth, because He is. He knows how frightening the world can be, and how difficult it is to live according to His will, but He doesn't want this reality to discourage us or cause us to despair. He said "In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world, (John 16:33b KJV). Jesus holds the power - the power that can enable us to be forgiven and live a life that pleases Him. No other counselor on earth has that kind of power! Living a new life that pleases God is part of His plan for us. All who believe on Jesus Christ were part of his plan even before they knew how to believe. There are two important parts to God's plan for you. The first is to understand Jesus calls sinners to believe on Him. If you think you are too big of a sinner to hear the call of God consider this; you are not too big of a sinner! You are just the kind of sinner He is calling! Jesus said "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, (Matthew 9:13b KJV). Jesus calls sinners like me and you to turn away from our selves with all our sin and unbelief to Him in faith, believing by grace, our sins are covered by His blood and we are forgiven in Jesus name. His promise is sure, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life," (John 3:16 KJV.) This takes place when we turn our hearts to God in faith, believing Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again to save us from our sin. That brings us to the second part of God's plan. In the Bible we are told "...He died for all, that they who live should henceforth not live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again," (II Corinthians 5:15 KJV). Jesus did more than reserve a place in heaven for those who would believe in Him. He died and rose again to empower people to live for Him; to overcome destructive patterns in their lives, and to honor His Father in heaven. Sin and failure doesn't have to maintain a stranglehold in our lives anymore. God's plan for us is victory in Jesus! Lord Jesus, we bring our captive, broken hearts, and we bow before You. Set us free to believe all that you are, and all that you have done on our behalf. Create within us clean hearts willing to forsake all sin, and ready hearts willing to live lives that honor You. In Your Name we pray, Amen. Original copyright 2012 Revised 2015 Copyright 2022. Toni Babcock is author of Reflections from the Heart in Light of the Gospel of Jesus, and The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens. Many of her devotionals have been featured on www.faithwriters.com. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |