God Has A Plan

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1571. Today's episode is called God Has a Plan.

Hey there, we're the Alessies, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy and to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why we've partnered with our friend Allison to produce a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast.

Hello, everyone. My name is Lauren Alessie. Nope, my name is Lauren Burgos. I am still getting used to that. And I am your host for this week. Well, actually, it's Lauren Alessie Burgos. So I was right in both sense. Okay, my name is Lauren Alessie Burgos, and I am your host for this week. And I'm gonna keep this week simple because this theme this week is the verses we know, but the truth that we need. When we were discussing the summertime, what we were gonna kind of talk about individually, I was like, I want to revisit the verses we know. And even if you want to say get overused at times, I want to revisit those verses, but kind of just reapply them to life. Uh, it's kind of like the Pinterest Bible verses that you see constantly. Uh, and maybe just in that overuse, sometimes they get, dare I say, watered down by the world. But it's the verses we know and love, but it's the raw truth that we need. And as I've been going over this more and more, I'm like, wow, they get overused a lot, yes, but that's because they're so good and so powerful that we need to be reminded of them. So I am excited to dive into this week. So let's start with today. God has a plan. Jeremiah 29, 11 is our verse, and this is what it says. 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 a hope and a future. I was having a conversation this past week or two weeks ago, um, just with my husband, actually, and we were just talking about life and how life sometimes does not pan out how we thought it was or how we thought it would. And I remember thinking that a lot when I was single and before I met him, how I was like, wow, I really thought I would be married and have kids by like 22, which is crazy. Why did I think I would have children at 22? Maybe you did. I don't know why I thought that for myself. But sometimes we get to a point in life where we're like, this is not what I pictured for my life at all. I didn't picture myself to be at this same job 10 years later. I didn't picture myself to be living in this same home all this time. I pictured bigger for myself. I pictured more for myself. And I'm wondering, why hasn't God showed up in the way that I thought he would? And actually, funny enough, we had an amazing sermon by our pastor this past week, who is actually my brother, Pastor Chris, who's been on this podcast before. And he was talking about how God prunes you and how there are seasons that are just so good for you because God has you in a waiting season, in a holding season, because God needs to remove some things for you. Why does God do that? Because he's saying this, 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 a hope and a future. So if you're listening to this right now and you're like, that is me. I am just so frustrated at life because it's not what I thought it would be. I really thought I'd be further along in life right now. There are some people who are in like medical school for like their, like literally a third of their life, it feels like. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but they're in school a long time. That can feel like a holding period. Or people who just are are having a lot of kids back to back and you feel like your whole life is just babies and toddlers and you don't have a social life. Or there's people who are single and struggling to find the one, and you're wondering, when is my time gonna come? And you're thinking to yourself, man, I really did not think my life would look like this. Or maybe you're struggling with infertility. That's a big one. And you're like, I thought I would have three kids by now, and I've been struggling having one kid for several years now. I just want to remind you that the Lord still has plans for you. And it's not plans to keep you in this season forever. Don't let the enemy try to tell you that the season you're in now is the season you're gonna be in your whole life. That is just a holding season, a waiting season God has you in right now because the Lord has plans for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. And all of the examples I just said about being in a place of man, when is God gonna show up for me? I have seen the other side of that testimony. Yesterday we were in a zoo meeting to finalize an adoption for a couple who has been waiting for children for so many years. I have seen girls myself, myself, I've been waiting for a husband for a long time. And last year, God gave him to me suddenly at the gym of all places. So all of these miracles that you're like, God has given them to other people. Why won't he give them to me? And I thought my life would look differently right now. Just understand, right now you are only in a season, but God has plans to prosper you. They are not to harm you, they are to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future. Let's pray. Dear Lord, we thank you so much for this wisdom found in this verse, God. We pray that we never neglect a Bible verse just because we've heard it before, God, and just because it's common, because this is the truth and this is your word, Lord. And there's so much richness found in it, God. So, Lord, I pray for every person maybe struggling under the sound of my voice, God, thinking, yeah, but that's easier said than done, but she doesn't know what I'm going through, God. Lord, I pray that you just show up, give them peace and understanding, knowing this is just a season. And you have plans to them, plans of prosperity and not to harm them, plans of a hope and a future. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

So there you have it, your five minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. If you found value in this devotional, share it with a friend, leave a comment or review for us on the app you're using right now. Until tomorrow, we pray that your latte is strong, but your love for Jesus is stronger.