God had the plan from the beginning!
14 “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “[a]I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
God is all seeing and all knowing! He is the Alpha and Omega and he knows the end from the beginning and the beginning to the end. There is nothing that surprises God. When God created us He did not create us to fail in life. In fact He created us to succeed and be prosperous. This was before we were created. Before Jeremiah was born God ordained him a prophet. Not according to his personality, his social status, what he likes and don’t like, what he have accomplished. NO! Before you were even thought of by your mother I ordained you a prophet. (Jeremiah 1:5)
Before we get started with any project in our lives God knows the end result from the beginning now if that project lines up with God’s plan that’s where we have to seek the will of God for our lives. For example in the book of 1 Samuel 8 we see Israel plead for a king.
Seeking God's will for our Lives
However, before we see Israel plead for a king I believe it is necessary to put their history in perspective. As a result of their disobedience towards God the children of Israel were in captivity to Babylon for 70 years. The Israelites were delivered from the bondage of Egypt by God. Then traveled through the wilderness for 40 years and won many wars. They entered the promise land by the walls of Jericho falling down and the children of Israel seemed to be on top of the world. However, once Joshua died and all the elders God appointed judges to judge the children of Israel according to God’s law. However, Israel grew into great jealously because all the nations around them had Kings. Out of jealously of these other nations Israel begged Samuel for a king (1 Samuel 8:4-8) that would rule over them. Comparing themselves to other nations Israel complained against the prophet Samuel that the God of Israel would give them a king who would be big, strong, and someone who could protect them and provide for them. In other words, God was not good enough to be their King alone. Even though this was displeasing to God he allowed it to happen. This was plain disrespectful because God is the one who has fought for them, who has provided for them, who has protected them. So for Israel to say we would like a king who is big and strong was disrespectful.
Israel's Kingdom History
The King that was elected was a tall, handsome, muscular man name Saul who won many wars and battles for Israel and Israel seemed to be happy with their King. From this was King David and from this point all the Kings drove Israel to idolatry and adulteries against God for hundreds of years. God had enough with it and allowed the Babylonian Empire to come and take over in Israel and brought them into captivity of being slaves. From this point Israel is brought to a point of crying out to God again as they were in Israel after being in captivity for 70 years and this is where God says in
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
God had the plan from the beginning! The promise was given to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 way in the beginning. The plan never changed God is just reminding them that I know the thoughts that I think towards you. (Genesis 17:7) God is saying that I’m keeping my covenant that I made with Abraham that even if your sons go astray from me I have a plan to get them back and redeem them back to myself. This shows us that God is faithful to his covenant promises.
God prepared Christ even in our disobedience.
(Jeremiah 31:3-4) I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
When God says “I know the plans that I have for you says the Lord, plan for you to prosper” the plan was always Christ.
Even Jesus says I’m preparing a place for you. In my fathers house are many mansions. Yet again God is preparing a place for us not just here on earth before we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior but even after we pass on from this life we are yearning and constantly looking for this everlasting place. (Revelation 21:4).
Don’t let your heart be troubled! Christ is coming back! And if God be for us then who can be against us?
(Romans 8:33) Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
We have something great to look for to even now.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also
God’s Love Prepared for Us