Hey guys, I hope you’re well. .

So, I was reading the story of Joseph, in Genesis, and there are many many sermons and posts I could do talking about Joseph, but today I want to talk God’s plan! (And if the song popped up in your head, then do a little dance).

There are 3 different types of plans (dare I say four)

1. Your plan for your life. This is our desires and what we want for our lives, what we want to achieve. For example, I want to become a Counselling Psychologist and have a doctorate degree in Psychology before I’m 30. That’s my plan for my life, and what I want to achieve for myself.
2. Others’ plan for your life. This can be our parents, our family members, our significant others, our friends. What they want for you. This can be a mother wishing her child to go to University after A-levels, or for a dad wanting their son or daughter to be a footballer or a sports person, or your significant other wanting you to be more open-minded or vulnerable. These are the things that others desire for your life.
3. The enemy’s plan for your life. Matthew 10:10, the thief came to steal, kill and to destroy, so the enemy wants nothing good for your life, because you’re a child of God!
4. But the most important one of all is God’s plan for your life. When we read Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ‭(MEV‬‬. ) When we read this verse, usually we like to focus more on the aspects of prospering and the future. However we need to be reminded of the fact it’s God who says “i know the plans i have for you“ He knows what He wants for YOU.

When Joseph was sold to the egyptians, his brothers didn’t want anything to do with him. We see their will for his life and what they wanted. They wanted him gone! However, God’s plan prevailed. But though God’s plan prevailed in the end, it didn’t come in the way that Joseph might have thought. There were times he was forgotten in the prisons by the people who promised that they would remember him. But God never forgets.

Delay does not equal denial.

The beautiful thing in this, is that no matter how long it took, Gods will prevailed. Though his brothers wanted bad for him, and people treated him bad, God’s plan for His life took all the things which had happened to him, good and bad, to create something wonderful. “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50:20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬.

There may be times when our lives do go according to our plan, but know that when you commit your ways to God, He makes your path straight. Sometimes maybe what we were wanting , God has greater, or maybe that no you’re thinking isn’t a no, but a not yet. So I remind you that delay does not equal denial. Joseph never seemed to catch a break, one thing after the other, through no fault of his own- but God was using it all for good!

Have you ever heard of the phrase “if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans”. I can give my own testimony on this, that when I stated this year abroad, I told myself that I would use semester own to settle in and make friends and then semester two to travel more and do a lot more things. Who would’ve known that it wasn’t gonna happen and I completed my semester 2 at home! So, although I had made my own plans, Gods worked out in the end. I may not have understood it at first, but knowing that it all works out in the end, is a blessing. But in my head everything was mapped out. Life doesn’t work like that unfortunately. But all we can do, in all that we do is commit it to God.

So in my conclusion, I just wanna remind you, that whenever we make our plans, and our desires, know that He has amazing plans for you. He wants the best for you, and He loves you. Romans 8:28 “All things work together for Good for those who Love God and are called according to His purpose.” So trust in Him, even when things don’t always go our way. It’s okay to still have goals and desires of your life, and to pray for them too! Proverbs 3:5”trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight!”

Gods plan!

~ peace, joy & love

TK