My theme for this devotional is “I promise you a better future.” It is easy to make a promise with the best intention of keeping it. However, making a promise is one thing, but keeping it is another.
Politicians seemingly make many promises in election manifestos, but, perhaps due to a change in circumstances, these pledges are not fulfilled. Granted, sometimes these unfulfilled promises are beyond the control of the politicians. However much we may plan, we do not control the future, and sadly at times people break promises or are not able to do what they promised, but there is one who will always deliver what he promises, and that is God.
Here is part of a little ditty:
Man of the world will let you down.
Brother and sister will let you down,
But Jesus never fails.
In a time of trouble, God gives a promise to his people of a good future. Jeremiah 29 verse 11 says: “’I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” This is not a total freedom from hardship, but an eternal life with God, and a promise of His blessings along the way.
We so often build our hopes and plans on material plans, but as we have already said, we cannot plan the future.
In Matthew chapter 6 verses 19-20, Jesus says this: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
So it is a question of what are we investing in? Either in the things of the world which can be easily snatched away, or in the things of God?
In Luke 18 verse 22, Jesus is talking to the rich young ruler, who, on talking to Jesus, it seems has kept most of the Ten Commandments, but Jesus saw there was something lacking in his life, for it says: “now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him: ‘yet lackest thou one thing; sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. And come and follow me.’” Jesus goes on to say that riches, and indeed other things we value, can be a stumbling block to a right relationship with God.
When we were little children, many times we played with our toys in a random way exploring as we learned, but we had no grand scheme or purpose to our play. We simply made it up as we went along. But can you imagine God doing something like that? Would the God who is wise, loving and eternal create a universe without purpose? Could he create human beings without a purpose? No indeed. He has a plan and a purpose for each of us, and as we have said, it is a plan to bless and prosper us.
To discover God’s plan for man, we need to go back to the book of Genesis. For after the creation of the world, he made mankind in His image as a purposeful being. God made man in a very particular way, in his image. Why? Because God had a plan.
God has a greater plan for all of our lives, which is that we would have him as our Saviour and Lord and live out the life that he has laid out for us. Although the details of our individual lives are all very different, God’s overall plan is actually the same for every one of us regardless of our different circumstances in our day to day living. Whether we are driving our cars, talking to our family members, or working at our jobs, God wants to live in us, so He can be expressed in our lives.
Baring in mind that God has a plan for each of our lives, let us seek Him for what that is. One thing I’m sure of is that it is a plan to give you a better future, even in the difficult days in our lives. For despite everything, God wants us to live a fulfilled life.
Here is a short prayer we can pray to thank God for creating us with such a wonderful purpose.
Dear Lord, thank you for showing me that Your plan for my life is greater than what I study, who I marry, or where I live. Lord, thank you for making me part of Your eternal plan. Thank you for making me in Your image, so I can be filled with You and express You. Cleanse me, Lord, and fill me with Yourself, Lord Jesus. Amen.