Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from Jeremiah 29 verse 11, “Surely I know my plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome,” (Amplified Bible). One of the great abilities of humans is the gift of planning, thinking ahead and considering future projects, dreams and hopes. One of the greatest joint human projects happened at the building site of the Tower of Babel, where people constructed an enormous building together. However, ultimately their plans failed, as their means of communications were confused. Humans have used their planning to benefit humankind, but the same invention that benefits humans can also destroy humankind, take dynamite as an example. The plans of humans do not have the scope and depth of the plans of their Creator, for his plans are traced through the history of the universe and humanity to give life and hope. The psalmist David says that “humans devise mischief in their heart; continually they gather together and stir up wars,” Psalm 140 verse 2, (Amplified Bible). People plan coalitions with those they differ with, in order to actualize their great dreams and ambitions, but ultimately these plans do not bear good fruit, if they were not subjected to testing these plans according to God’s word and will. “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure,” Proverbs 19 verse 9. God’s plans for each individual are plans that give hope and secure a fulfilled future. God allows people to plan, prosper and develop their grand schemes, but when these plans harm and destroy others, God intervenes. He will not stand idly by and see how evil is committed, He comes to aide those who are oppressed by the ambitious and wrongful plans of the powerful. He saves the helpless out of the hands of the mighty. God knows his plans, they are always to prosper and benefit all people. He will surely bring to naught the plans of those that destroy the hopes and dreams of those around them. This is our hope and God’s future for us, a future of reconciliation to him and each other.
The Apostle Paul explains God’s reconciliation plan for all people in his Letter to the Colossians, Chapter One verses 19 to 20, “For it has pleased the Father that all the divine fullness, (namely) the sum total of divine perfection, powers and attributes should dwell in Christ, permanently. And God purposed that through the service and intervention of the Son, all things should be completely reconciled back to God Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Jesus the Son, the Father made peace by means of the blood of Christ’s cross,” (Amplified Bible). God’s communication with his Son, Jesus, never became confused, for Christ knew the plans of the Father, before the foundations of the earth. The Son’s purpose was to be obedient to the plans of the Father and work with his Father to bring humankind back to their God. The sign and symbol of this plan is the Cross of Christ. In this time of Lent, let us think on our plans and purposes and bring these to God and seek to align these in obedience to his will, for his will is best. Many good plans and purposes fall by the wayside or turn out wrong because of miscommunications and misunderstandings. Even the Gospel can be misunderstood if it is not told in such a manner as to hold up Christ as Gift and Grace for us. The Good News is that we are accepted and have received grace and mercy through Christ’s work on the Cross for us. It is done, it is finished. In the words of Paul Tillich, we need to accept that we are accepted, and therein is hope and a future for each one of us.
Father, we thank you that you have planned the way for reconciliation to you, through your Son and his work for us on the Cross. We thank you for the Cross of Jesus, Amen.