I Want to Know God's Plans for Me

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

11 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. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

We know without a shadow of a doubt now that God knows the plans that He has for us, and they are good with hope and a future. I don't know about you but I would really like Him to let me in on these plans that He has for me. I find myself leaning on this verse more and more. However I also find myself wishing to know these plans more and more. I want answers to life's questions. But I don't seem to always hear the answers to my questions to God. I completely offer Him myself, feeling ready to take on His task. But then feel uncertain of just what He wants me to do. I plead for an answer. Nothing. Why? Why nothing?

If He knows the plans He has set up for my life, would it not be easier to share them with me so that I can move in that direction?

Just give me a plan for even this one little area in my life. I know God that you can't just lay it all out for me. That would be too much, probably overwhelming, maybe unbelievable. I see that giving me the entire plan would not work in the life lessons you have for me. But how about this one area, this thing right now. God could you just give me a hint of what to do. Just nudge me in your intended direction. Then nothing. What is up with that?

Do you ever feel this way?

Waiting, what good is waiting when I need a job or I need direction now. Waiting, why I'm running out of money. Waiting, why I need to make this decision ASAP.

You have heard of waiting on the Lord. And I get that. But what about these immediate needs or so they seem?

Maybe, just maybe that circumstance or decision seems to need an immediate answer only here on earth. We see things only on earth and from the earth's perspective. We really can only see in front of us. We can't see the whole earth, the whole city or even the whole community. We see what is in front of us at each moment and nothing more.

I can't see what is happening at my child's school. I can't see her at school and her daily activities. I can't hear her conversations. I can't see her teachers and hear what they may say to her. I certainly can't guess what her teachers may be thinking or trying to accomplish each day in class. I don't know how she acts with friends. I don't know what she says to them. I don't know how she feels inside about herself. I can't see what confidence she has or what lack of confidence that resides in her. When it comes down to it, I don't know her day and her emotions throughout her day. It's almost sad to see this, considering she is my girl, my baby. But you know this is all the truth.

I can not see more than what is in front of me. I can not see her school day or her playtime so much. I can not see how she feels and what she is thinking. Right?

Can I see all the thoughts and processes going on out in the world? Can I see what my family really needs deep in their hearts? Can I see their hurts throughout the day? Can I see their joyful thoughts? Can I see what makes them happy even when they are with me?

What do I really know? What do I really see of my world? I see what is in front of me, but then I can't see it but on the surface. I see only what is in front of me that is the surface, the physical and the words. I can't see inner thoughts, feelings and the heart of what is in front of me.

So come on now I can't really see that much.

I can't know what is going on in other places where my family and friends may be. I can't know their thoughts and feelings wherever they may be. I can't even see those things when they are in front of me.

So actually I am on earth with a very limited view of my life. I sit on earth and see me and my thoughts and feelings. I see what is happening in front of me but without the ability to see what thoughts or feelings of others that may have caused it.

Think about it. How much can you really see about your life? You see pretty much only your thoughts and emotions as they occur. And that is not even based on facts other than what is in front of you and not so much what thoughts of another person caused it.

We can't see thoughts that other people are experiencing before or during their conversations or actions. We only hear what comes out of their mouths, which is often not the whole story. What we speak rarely conveys the inner feelings involved. We make our point, but when it comes to heart felt matters we don't always share the thought process involved.

So what you hear from another person is the words but not necessarily how they came about their way of thinking on the subject.

What I am trying to get you to see is this:

You don't really see that much of what is happening in your life. You see what is in front of you only. You can't see things going on in other people's lives in other places. You can't read their minds or hear their thoughts. What you see of your life is your thoughts, your feelings and what is in front of you. That's it!

Didn't realize we had such a limited view of our very own life. Did you? It makes sense.

Before moving forward with a new verse and new meditating techniques, let's ponder this realization about our lives. You know I really want God to let me in on the plans that He has for me in so many areas of my life. I have questions and decisions to make. I want God to say "Hey Truly, Here is the plan!" and then give me my instructions. However, I can't see anything going on around me other than the surface. So my needs that feel so very immediate do not take in consideration other factors that lie beneath the surface. Does that make any sense?

God knows the plans that He has for me. He also knows everything beyond the surface. He knows all those things that I just mentioned that we do not know. He knows every one's thoughts, feelings, and actions. God knows what is below the surface that we as humans can not see. But He can. God knows the plans He has for me and they are based on what He knows, not what I see here on earth. What may appear as an immediate need in my limited earth view, may not be so immediate when looking past the surface. My view is not so vast. God's view is vast and all knowing. Therefore when I say I want an answer God now, I make this request based on not knowing all things involved with His plan. I hope this is not too deep or difficult to understand. I think it may be one of those lessons that we need to think on, ponder and yes, meditate.

So please hang on, I think God is trying to give us some insight into his world, his view on our lives. He wants us to have some understanding of why we don't always receive answers from Him quickly in our earthly terms. Please take this and let it speak to you to see that God's plans for us are delivered with much more in mind than what we can see here on earth.