An Expected End

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

The Amplified Classic says it this way, “For I know the thoughts and plans that 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.”

The Lord thought out the plan for our lives. He planned it! He looked at us individually and decided what kind of very good life He would give us. It is up to us to decide to find and follow His plan because it is the best possible plan there is for each of us.

The plan God has set for us is full of peace. Peace is a life that is not chaotic, but pleasant and good. That is the life God has planned for us. He has planned a life of welfare, well-being, and prosperity. The life God has for us is a life of abundance as we obey Him. It is the exceeding, abundantly above kind of life. Our life is not to be full of evil or disaster, but good and productive.

We are not supposed to be living from drama to drama. I don’t think He promised it would be drama-free, but if there is always disaster, trauma, and drama, we should look and make sure we are living the life God prearranged for us.

We have an expected end. We have a planned final outcome, but it is not automatic. Just because there is a plan doesn’t mean that it will automatically come to pass. That part is up to us. It is like planning a get-together. You can plan and plan all you want, but there are always variables that are out of your control, like those who don’t show up even though they said they were coming, the weather, or the food not turning out right. The list goes on and on.

God can plan it, but it is up to us to obey and get to the expected end. He knows the plans He has for us, and in the end, it is full of hope with a real finish line.