YOU ARE ON GOD'S MIND

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV).

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 NIV).

This verse from Jeremiah has been on my mind all day. I posted these two translations because they handle the word translated “thoughts” or “plans” differently. The verse can be accurately translated either way, and some translations use both words together. God is thinking thoughts toward us, and those thoughts include plans, designs, or dreams that He holds in His heart for us.

No matter how long I do this, no matter how much I study the Bible and attempt to communicate it to people, I never cease to be amazed by this very thing–God has us on His mind. He thinks about us, dreams about our success, our peace, and our prosperity in all areas of life. That, my friends, is amazing.

Some people may tell you, or at least imply, that God is busily planning your demise. These folks think that because every one of us is imperfect to say the least, God is contemplating the best way to punish us and snuff us out. I’ve got news for you. If God wanted us snuffed out, we would long since have been snuffed. This verse says that God’s plans are to prosper us, and not to harm us. Doesn’t He know that we have messed up big time? Yeah, He is aware of that fact, but He already took all of our sin upon Himself through His Son so that we could be forgiven, our lives redeemed and restored, and so that we could be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19). He loves you that much.

People that think that God is planning our destruction have missed some vital information about His true nature. Furthermore, they have underestimated the power of what Jesus did at the cross. I am not criticizing these folks; they have simply not understood the true meaning of the Gospel–the good news. The truth is that God loves you dearly and He has a great plan for your life. All that is left is for us to accept what God says about Himself as the truth, and to begin to interact with Him on a daily basis. He will gladly show us Himself, His plans, and bring those plans to pass in our lives. You are on God’s mind, and that’s a good thing!