God Has a Plan for Your Life: The Discovery that Makes All the Difference
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While you may not understand all the twists and turns of life, you can be sure of one thing: the same God who created you, loves you. God’s personal promise to you is one of extreme hope and potential (Jeremiah 29:11). He also has an awesome strategy for your future. No matter what failure you have experienced in the past, you can learn how to make right choices at every juncture in your life.
In God Has A Plan for Your Life, Dr. Charles Stanley explains that there is no such thing as coincidence, luck, or good fortune. God is sovereign, and He has a course that He wants you to follow. He opens and closes exciting doors of opportunity, but it is up to you to step through each one by faith. You don’t have to miss another exciting moment. You can live each day with a sense of hope and assurance that whatever comes your way has passed through God’s omnipotent, loving hands. This book outlines the exact steps that will lead you to discover His plan for your life.
Charles F. Stanley
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church Atlanta, Georgia, where he served more than fifty years. He was also a New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy books. Until his death in 2023, Dr. Stanley’s mission was to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.” This is a calling that In Touch Ministries continues to pursue by transmitting his teachings as widely and effectively as possible. Dr. Stanley’s messages can be heard daily on In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley broadcasts on television, radio, and satellite networks and stations around the world; on the internet at intouch.org and through In Touch+; and via the In Touch Messenger Lab. Excerpts from Dr. Stanley’s inspiring messages are also published in the award-winning In Touch devotional magazine.
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God Has a Plan for Your Life - Charles F. Stanley
© 2008 by Great Commission Media
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
Scriptures quotations marked NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stanley, Charles F.
God has a plan for your life : the discovery that makes all the
difference / by Charles F. Stanley.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-4002-0096-2
1. Providence and government of God—Christianity. 2. God—Will. 3.
Spirituality. I. Title.
BT135.S78 2008
231’.5--dc22
2008003399
08 09 10 11 12 RRD 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.
I know the plans that I have for you,
declares the LORD .
Jeremiah 29:11
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Does God Have a Plan for Me?
CHAPTER ONE
The Big Picture
CHAPTER TWO
God’s Promise Fulfilled
CHAPTER THREE
How Do We Discover God’s Promise?
CHAPTER FOUR
God’s Will Defined
CHAPTER FIVE
A Miraculous Hope!
CHAPTER SIX
Hindrances to Discovering God’s Promise
CHAPTER SEVEN
Equipped for Every Good Work
CHAPTER EIGHT
God’s Will Is Clear
CHAPTER NINE
The Discovery
CHAPTER TEN
The Adventure Begins
Have You Accepted God’s Greatest Gift?
Does God Have
a Plan for Me?
Does God have a purpose and a plan for my life? If so, can I know it?" Each time I hear these two questions, I answer the same way: yes, He does. In fact, His personal promise to you is that He does have a purpose and a plan for your life (Jer. 29:11). While you may not know or understand all the twists and turns of life, you can be sure of one thing: the same God who breathed life into you loves you enough to plan for your future. He has promised that if you will seek Him, you will find Him, and you also will discover His will for your life.
Many people spend a lot of time thinking about how God’s will is a mystery that cannot be unlocked. This simply is not true. We can know the plans He has for us. We may not know all the details because God keeps some aspects of His will to Himself, but we can know the right path to take in every situation.
Years ago, I wrote a small book entitled Discovering God’s Will. In it, I included some of the questions people asked on a regular basis. Each one involved some aspect of God’s will for their lives. At that time, most of the questions focused on potential marriage partners, raising children, and selecting the right vocation.
I was offered a new job in another state. There are a lot of pluses about it. Can God help me make a wise decision?
My daughter is a high school senior and has the opportunity to attend several colleges this fall. How can I know which one is right for her?
Should I marry this girl? I really think God has brought us together, but I would like to know God’s mind on our future together.
Today, however, many questions we face have changed. Following the world events of the past few years, the questions are much more intense and include ones such as the following:
Yesterday, I received word that I was going to be laid off from my job. My wife is out of work also, and I don’t know how we will pay our mortgage. Does God have a plan for us? I need to know because I feel so hopeless.
I’m thirty-one years old, and my doctor told me last week that I have cancer. I don’t understand. I love God and have been living my life for Him. Why is He allowing this to happen? Does He have a purpose for my suffering?
Last week, my doorbell rang and I opened the door to a sight that I feared would come. Two army officers stood before me with the news that my son had been killed in battle. My grief is so great. I don’t understand God’s will at all. My son was so young. What is God doing? Is there a way that He will use this for some purpose in the future?
I never realized I could feel so lonely. However, after my husband left me last year, I have struggled with deep feelings of loneliness and even fear. Some of my Christian friends have tried to help, but many of them are busy with their own families. Does God still have a plan for me? Will I ever feel happy and alive again?
For several years, I used various drugs. Today, thanks to God’s help and the support of my church family, I am drug-free. However, now I feel so shameful. Can God still use me? Does He have a plan for my life? Is there hope for my future?
Without a doubt, today, more and more people are wondering if God is aware of their situation and the problems they are facing. However, the deeper question is, Does He love me and have a purpose for my life?
Let me start this book with some very good news. In spite of any difficulty or sin that you may have faced, God still has a fantastic plan in mind for your life. This is His personal promise for you. It is His plan to give you hope and a future, and it is His goal to lead you through the difficult times as well as the good times so that you will fulfill His purpose in this life. In Proverbs, He says that when we turn to Him and place the focus of our hearts on Him, He will make your paths straight
(3:5–6).
For someone reading these words, the idea of traveling a straight path is very encouraging, especially if you spent years wandering in circles that had you on pathways God never designed for you to travel. However, all of that is about to change as you discover His will for your life, which includes a plan that is tailored perfectly to suit you. Many people want to know, How can I be sure that I am doing the right thing? Will God tell me?
The answer is yes!
He will never leave you groping for answers. You may have to spend some time seeking His face for answers to your prayers, but when you do, you will never be disappointed. He is the only One who knows the plans that He has for us and how they can be fulfilled. They are plans that contain renewed peace and joy.
It is my heart’s prayer that everyone who reads this book will allow God to demonstrate His infinite love and care in a fresh new way. Without a doubt, once you accept Christ as your Savior, the most important aspect of the Christian life is learning that He has a will and purpose not only for your eternal life, but also for every situation you face each day.
It all begins with faith in an all-powerful, loving Savior who has your very best in mind—always. Once you place your faith in Him, nothing can hold you back from gaining the peace and contentment that He has for you. My question to you is this: are you ready to take the first step to discovering exactly what God has planned for you? Don’t miss another moment that could be spent in the blessing He promises each one of us.
Charles F. Stanley
CHAPTER ONE
The Big Picture
Does God have a plan for me?" the young man asked. His face was etched with worry and regret. He had come to know Christ as his Savior years before during a youth rally, but now, sitting in my office, he was not only on the verge of doubting his salvation but also God’s love for him. He could not see past the sin that was in his life, nor could he accept God’s forgiveness, and this was choking the spiritual life out of him.
I reassured him that while there were consequences to sin, God still had a plan and a purpose for his life. He never gives up on us. Even though he had made mistakes, and at one point ignored God’s leading, the Lord loved him and heard his prayers. God would not ignore him or push him aside.
A Future and a Hope
God loves you,
I reassured him (Jer. 31:3; John 3:16). He created you, and He is not about to give up on you—not now—not ever. You can depend on this.
Instantly, silence filled the room. I could sense that God had broken through, and for the first time in a very long time, this young man’s mind and heart were tuned in