“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.” (Jer. 29:11 NIV)

God has prepared good works for us to do

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”(Eph. 2:10 ESV)

Trust God in all your ways and He will direct you

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6 ESV

God will give you strength to do all things

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”(Phil. 4:13 ESV)

Therefore…

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 ESV)

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Heb. 10:36 NIV)

According to the above passage, you must persevere in doing God’s will for your life in order to receive what He has promised for your life. Sadly, some people choose not to persevere and they miss out on God’s best for them.

You have choices. Choose wisely!

1) You could choose to be content and remain ignorant.

“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you…” (1 Tim. 4:14a)

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.” (Heb. 2:1)

2) You could choose to do things your own way.

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Prov. 14:12 NIN)

3) You could choose to settle for less than God’s best.

“Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matt. 19:21-22 ESV)

4) You could choose to contend for nothing less than God’s best.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17 ESV)

God’s will is for you to be saved

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3-4 NIV)

God’s will is for you to be sanctified (set apart)

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3 NIV)

God’s will is for you to thank Him in all circumstances

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes. 5:18 NIV)

God’s will is for you to do good

“For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:15 NIV)

God’s will is for you to renew your mind  

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2 ESV)

Therefore…

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:15:20 NIV)

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Psalm 96:3 ESV)

Walk humbly with God

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Bring salvation

“For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”  (Acts 13:47 ESV)

Make disciples

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  (Matt. 28:19-20)

Let your light shine

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)

Therefore…

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (1 Chron. 16:24 ESV)

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)

A deposit has been made to your account!

Recently my wife, Susan, called our bank to make sure enough funds had been deposited in our account to cover the bills she planned to pay. Once she was assured the money was there, she sat down and confidently wrote out the checks. In the same way you don’t have to worry about inadequacy when approaching God, because a more than adequate deposit was applied to your account by Jesus. You can approach God’s throne of grace with total confidence and “receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)

We may approach boldly with confidence

“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” (Eph. 3:12 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”(Heb. 10:19-24 NIV)

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12 NIV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for every good work

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV)

God’s Word lights your path

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

God’s Word hidden in your heart

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

Therefore…

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV)

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

Words are important

The old saying, “Sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me” is not true! Words do hurt and can do much damage. I have spoken words in haste or in anger and then immediately wished I could take them back, but could not! The damage had already been done! Speaking words in haste is like squeezing toothpaste from a tube; it comes out fast and easy, but you will never be able to get it back into the tube.The Bible has a lot to say about words.

Rash words are like sword thrusts

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Prov. 12:18 ESV)

Death and life is in the power of the tongue

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Prov. 18:21 ESV)

A soft answer turns away wrath

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov. 15:1 ESV)

Gracious words are like sweetness to the soul

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Prov. 16:24 ESV)

Therefore…

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Eph. 4:29 ESV)

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

It’s always been easy for me

I’m a “type A” person. Therefore, after I became a Christian it was easy for me to share my faith with others. I was excited about knowing Jesus and I spoke about Him to everyone I came in contact with. This was not the case with my wife, Susan. She is a very private “type B” person. Therefore, she found it very challenging to share her faith with others. But, it wasn’t impossible. One day, for instance, she found herself seated across the table from another lady exactly like her, another “type B” person. As they sat and visited, the topic somehow drifted to knowing God, and Susan found herself sharing her faith to a very receptive listener. Susan discovered that the main thing about being successful in sharing Jesus with others is to first, be willing, (she was) and secondly, to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”. (1 Peter 3:15). Susan had learned the Bible verses about how to know and receive Christ personally, so she was prepared to share when asked. Someone once explained it this way: “Sharing one’s faith is simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find some bread.”

Make the most of every opportunity

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.” (Col. 4:5 NLT)

For such a time as this

“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 ESV)

Be ready in season or out of season

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Tim. 4:2 ESV)

Therefore…

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Tim. 2:2 NIV)

 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7)

I was a worrier

When I was young I worried about everything. Someone asked my older brother, David, if he ever worried about anything. He said, “No! If I’m ever concerned about anything, I just tell my little brother, Mike, and he will worry about it for me.” Over the years my worrying got worse and turned into debilitating anxiety attacks. The answer for this problem came after I Received Christ and discovered what He said about worry.

“Do not be anxious about your life”

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matt. 6:24-25 ESV)

“Do not be anxious about tomorrow”

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matt. 6:33-34 ESV)

Thank God in all circumstances

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18)

God’s strength will enable you

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

Give your anxieties to God

“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 ESV)