What Is He Thinking?

We tend to interpret life by how it looks to us at the moment. And if it’s a little uncomfortable, if it’s a little difficult, we might think, “Obviously God’s thoughts toward me aren’t good.” Or we might falsely conclude that God isn’t thinking of us at all.

But we must remember that in the midst of the process, God has a plan and a purpose for our lives.

We find a wonderful promise in Jeremiah 29:11, a verse that every Christian should commit to memory: “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope’ ” (NLT).

It’s interesting to consider the backdrop of that statement. God spoke those words to His people, the Jews, who were living as captives in Babylon. For them, their world had ended. They thought they had no future. They probably believed that God had forgotten about them.

God had disciplined His people for their disobedience by allowing them to be taken into captivity. However, the principal message He gave to His people was that He still loved them and He still had a plan and a purpose for their lives. He was disciplining them not because He hated them but because He loved them.

The Bible says, “For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12 NLT). Although God’s plans and thoughts for us are good, they may not seem good to us at the time.

Maybe you’re wondering whether God has forgotten about you. You might be facing difficulties, or perhaps God is disciplining you.

Remember this: because the Lord loves you, because you are His child, He will do what is necessary in your life to make you the person He wants you to be. His plans and thoughts for you are good.

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