“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 hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

As I sit and reflect on this verse I can’t help but be utterly amazed at how faithful our God is to us. Just think about it, God doesn’t need us. He doesn’t need us to complete His grand plan. He doesn’t need us to worship Him. He doesn’t need us at all, because, even without us, He is still the God of the universe. But He wants us and seeks us out. God looked at each one of us and created a will for us: a plan for our lives that glorifies Him and builds His kingdom. How amazing is that?

I’ve come to realize how easy it is for us to twist the concept of “God’s will”. It’s so easy for us to take our plans and claim them to be God's. But in realizing this I have also realized the beauty of laying down our plans. Of letting go of our hopes and our dreams and giving them to God. How in doing this we may even discover a new plan for our life. We may just come to realize God's plan for us. This is such an amazing moment, but it can also be a terrifying moment. God doesn’t call us to stay in our comfort zones. He calls us to follow Him, and that can be hard. It’s hard to walk away from what you know to follow Him but have faith it’s also the most freeing thing. To realize that you are helping build Gods kingdom, that He is using you to complete His will, what a beautiful thing.

I am blown away in how amazing life is when we center yourself in Gods will and plans for us. I personally know my life would be so different if I hadn’t let go of myself and gave it to the Lord. In doing this God has changed my heart so much. He’s given me a heart of a servant. He’s called me to go and serve the least of these. I never would have thought I would be doing this things God has called me to do but I wouldn’t change any of it. The amount of peace and joy have experienced are only proof of His love and faithfulness to us. How could I go ever go back to doing this on my own? Why would I want to walk away from Him? I pray that my heart never strays, that it is bonded to Him. I pray that I never forget what He has done and what He will do.

I am thankful for Gods promise to us in Jeremiah 29:11. I pray that we never forget the beauty of this promise, that we never walk away from it, and that we cherish it. I look ahead to the future and I can’t wait to see what God has in store.