Jesus Christ has a divine plan for you. He created you according to His unique design. All your natural abilities, physical features, strengths and weaknesses are part of His grand design. You are unique. In all of the world, in all of history there is only one you!

1) Jesus Christ has designed you special according to Psalms 139:

¹² Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

2) Jesus Christ has specific tasks for you to perform according to Ephesians 2:

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

3) The Necessity of Vision-

You and I live in a fallen creation. We are limited to time and place. We still possess our sin nature which is in rebellion to Jesus Christ. So when circumstances are confusing and difficult, we need a vision of Jesus Christ’s perspective to help us look beyond the present.

Proverbs 29:

¹⁸ Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is
he.

Ecclesiastes 3:

¹¹ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

4) Your Creator is intimately concerned with the details of your life and He orchestrates the events and meaningful experiences to position/prepare/equip you to perform the tasks He has pre-ordained for you to accomplish before He takes you home. Paul says it this way in

Ephesians 1:

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

5) Please understand Jesus Christ is never the author of evil.

1 Corinthians 14:

³³ For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

James 1:

¹³ Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

6) Jesus Christ began your faith and will take you over the finish line according to Hebrews 12:

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

7) Jesus Christ allows hard circumstances into your life for His own purpose, which is always good.

Ephesians 2:

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Philippians 3:

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Mark 7:

³⁶ And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

³⁷ And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Nahum 1:

⁷ The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

8) Jesus Christ works all things together for good – Romans 8:

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

³¹ What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Working the situation for your good

Working in you good for the situation

9) Jesus Christ displays His wisdom through you–

Ephesians 3:

⁹ And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

¹⁰ To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

¹¹ According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

1 John 1:

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 4:

⁴ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

10) Jesus Christ works all things for His glory -Ephesians. 1:

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

11) Jesus Christ manifests the savor of His knowledge  by you-2 Corinthians 2:

¹⁴ Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

12) Jesus Christ uses earthen vessels – 2 Corinthians 4:

⁶ For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

¹⁰ Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

¹¹ For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

13) Jesus Christ uses difficulties to correct your focus according to Hebrews 12:

⁰⁹Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

¹⁰ For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

¹¹ Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

This is how the writer of Hebrews concludes his assessment of Jesus Christ in circumstances in chapter 12:

¹²Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

¹³ And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

¹⁴ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

¹⁵ Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

¹⁶ Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

¹⁷ For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

¹⁸ For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

¹⁹ And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

²⁰ (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

²¹ And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

²² But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

²³ To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

²⁴ And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Questions for Reflection

1) As you ponder the love and intimate concern Jesus Christ has for you, what thoughts come to mind?

2) What do you see of Jesus Christ’s purpose for you in your current circumstances?

3) No one can tell you how you should feel. Your feelings are unique. They belong to you. Jesus Christ understands. Tell Him your feelings about your circumstances

The Lord will provide- Martha Cook, 1870

In some way or other The Lord will provide;

In some way or other The Lord will provide;

It may not be my way, It may not be thy way,
And yet in His own way, The Lord will provide.

At some time or other The Lord will provide;

At some time or other The Lord will provide
It may not be my time, It may not be thy time,
And yet in His own time, The Lord will provide.

Despond then no longer, The Lord will provide;

Just trust Him the stronger-the sea will divide
And this be the token—No word He hath spoken
Was ever yet broken: “The Lord will provide.”

March on, then, with courage, The Lord will provide

And be not discouraged, The sea shall divide;
The pathway made glorious, With shoutings victorious,
We’ll join in the chorus: “The Lord will provide.”

The Lord Will Provide – John Newton, 1779

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright, Though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide, The promise assures us, “The Lord will provide.”

The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed; From them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied So long as ’tis written, “The Lord will provide.”

When Satan assails us to stop up our path, And courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried, This heart cheering promise,

“The Lord will provide.”

He tells us we’re weak, our hope is in vain, The good that we seek we never shall obtain,
But when such suggestions, our graces have tried, This answers all questions, “The Lord will provide.”

No strength of our own and no goodness we claim;

Yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great Name,

In this our strong tower for safety we hide: The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.”

When life sinks apace, and death is in view, The word of His grace shall comfort us through,
Not fearing or doubting, with Christ on our side, We hope to die shouting, “The Lord will provide.”

Hebrews 12:

¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He has set before us looking unto Jesus,

Coach Patti