Jeremiah 29:11, "‘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.'"

Think

Chances are that you, along with millions of others, have made resolutions to positively impact your life this year. However, before we begin setting those resolutions into motion, it is important to consider the motivating factors of the changes we are planning for. In other words, we need to ask ourselves if our resolutions, our plans, will help us pursue what God has for us. We don't want temporary change, we want permanent change. And that can only come from God. Only He can erase and replace the negative labels. In today's Scripture, we see that God knows the plans He has for us. In order to realize His plans, we must make sure our plans are in line with what He wants for us. If they aren't, the outcome of our seemingly perfect plans may be different than what we expected. What is your expectation for 2018? Make sure that you are not simply running from negative labels, but rather, running toward God's plans for your life. The adventure comes when we see those plans unfolding in the midst of our pursuit of Him!

Act

Good planning comes with wise counsel. After spending time in God's Word and in prayer about your plans, seek godly counsel with trusted friends or a counselor. Then step out with the expectation of discovering His plans for you this year.

Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for the plans You have made for my life.  Open my heart and mind so that I can be confident in the steps I need to take to be aligned with that plan. In Jesus' name, Amen!