What are your plans for the year of 2022?

Maybe you don’t have anything written down yet, but you are probably thinking about one or two things that you want to accomplish. 

If you are systematic, you probably already bought a year planner and wrote down your goals, like learning a new language or places to visit.

But it doesn’t matter if you are either excited for this new year and have all the plans on paper or discouraged to plan because you had a rough last year. We all have something in common: we always plan and desire good things. 

[James 1:17a]

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.

God desires good things for us. The Bible says that God’s plans are so good that we can’t even imagine how good they are:

[Isaiah 55:8-19] –

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts (other translations say plans),” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Today, I want to encourage you to trust your faith in God because He has good plans for you and your family, plans to give you a future and hope this year. 

[Jeremiah 29:11]

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.

[2 Peter 1:3-11]

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

1 – We already have everything that we need for living a godly life

We don’t need to worry about lacking anything this new year. God has guaranteed through Jesus that we’ll have everything that we need to live a godly life. Not everything that we want, but everything that we need. The keyword is TRUST that He will provide.

[Matthew 6:26-27]

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

[2 Peter 1:8-11]

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 – If you want to be more productive and useful this year, invest your time in growing spiritually.

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Application Questions

1. What stood out to you from this message and why?

2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?

3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?

4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?