Week Twenty-Three, 2026

“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).

We all have them, and they range from short to long ones. I am talking about plans. How do we plan? How do we respond when they don’t work out as we planned?

Plans are detailed, step-by-step methods or strategies used to achieve goals, ranging from personal intentions to organizational strategies like strategic, tactical, operational, or contingency plans. Effective planning involves setting concrete goals, identifying requirements, and scheduling, resulting in increased productivity and reduced stress. Or… as simple as deciding which movie to go see. They are often a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.

They are a set of decisions about how to do something in the future: a company’s business plan, a negotiated peace plan, a read-through-the-Bible-daily plan, a five-year plan, vacation plans. But, no matter how hard we try, our plans don’t always work out for us. Then what?

I well remember taking a camping trip out west. One of the boys got sick and we had to seek medical treatment for him, slowing us down for a few days. Meanwhile, the camping park where we were headed had an earthquake and several campers perished. But for an unexpected delay, it could have been us.

Ultimately, God is the master planner in our lives. He gives us a hope and a future, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time.

With its references to God’s plans, prosperity, protection from harm, peace, and a future filled with hope, Jeremiah 29:11 is often offered as a spiritual “security blanket” to people who are struggling. The verse has inspired and comforted countless believers who interpret it to mean that if they endure their immediate circumstances, they will emerge victorious, triumphant, and celebrated in God’s ultimate plan of prosperity. They anticipate a moment when their suffering ends and their flourishing begins.

So, what do we take away from Jeremiah 29:11? First, if we put our trust in Christ, we can anticipate an ultimately glorious future—one spent in God’s presence for eternity. Second, God’s plans for His people in this world rarely involve helping us escape from our trials completely. He doesn’t make our suffering disappear. Instead, He helps us persevere through them. He helps us grow and mature in ways we wouldn’t otherwise grow and mature apart from tough times. He helps us find joy in the unlikeliest of circumstances. It’s the kind of joy that affects not just our lives, but the lives of others as well. He prospers us in ways that expand our understanding of prosperity.

Are you ready for God’s plan in your life?

Sometimes True Stories

Comments from Edgar Aponte: Each book of the Bible has an agenda. Our agenda is to find new life in Christ. Jesus meets us in our pain and disappointment. He is THE Way, THE Truth and The Life. We need to point to the One who gives us hope. He invites us to believe. Jesus knows what I have said and thought. He knows everything. Some love their sin more than they love their Bible. Jesus still had the scars and so do we. Jesus’ invitation demands a response—not to just see, but to believe. It is a personal response that He is your Savior. We also need to make it a personal commitment. Knowing about Jesus is not enough. It must be a personal commitment.

– 0 –

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” — Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

What separates the wise from the foolish? The foolish man relies on himself while the wise man relies on God. A recent student of Scripture did a study of God’s promises and came up with 7,487, and to their amazement, God always fulfills His promises—not just some, but 100% of the time. A wise man understands that God is sovereign and cannot lie; a foolish man relies on himself. When we build our lives on the foundation of God, we can rest in peace that our foundation is solid and will stand the test of time. The foolish man builds his life on the shifting sands of man and watches as the sand crumbles with each passing day.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against the house, the house won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.” — Matthew 7:24-26

Quotes You Can Use

We were never promised a rose garden, just that God will never desert us.

It is not the length of our prayers that makes them effective—it’s the relationship we have with God that counts.

In order for faith to be valid, it has to lead to action.

Knowing what to say and when to say it takes wisdom. I remember a quote which says it is better to be quiet than boisterous.

One day the flesh will be put away forever.

Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship. — Benjamin Franklin

Whenever a life is yielded to God, He magnifies that person.

God uses trials to mature your faith, so rejoice in them and ask Him for wisdom to endure. Trust God’s purpose in your trials. Ask God for wisdom in your trials. — Edgar Aponte

Jesus is the bridge between God and man.

Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. — Thomas Edison

One of the biggest lies of the devil is causing doubt. Doubt is about God’s gift of grace. The devil would have us believe we are a “victim” regardless of any personal decisions we may have made. Whatever is happening to us is the fault of someone else, or we are simply a victim of circumstances or some other factor of our upbringing or environment. — Tony Ferguson

Satan has deceived many people into trusting in emptiness.

God gave us the gift of thinking, reason, and logic; we must be a good steward of His gift.

© Thoughts on Life Copyright 2026

10025 Orange Grove DriveDrive

Tampa, FL 33618, USA

Tampa, FL 33618, USA