Jeremiah 29: 11(NIV)
 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.

   The scripture reference above reveals God’s perfect will for His people. It is the  description of His passionate desire for those who belong to Him. Though in context, the bible verse above refers to the exiled Israelites under the dominion of Nebuchadenzzar king of Babylon, its message is both timeless and timely. Timeless, because it portrays God’s plans for His people at all times and timely, because it bears more urgently on God’s people of this  generation of the end times.
   Unless we apply careful attention to this scripture, we are at risk of missing its gem for us. Therefore it is imperative that we analyze its contents carefully.
   First, we are told whose words they are in the following expression, “declares the LORD”. The reason for this is that the origin or source of a message determines the power behind it and therefore the weight it carries. It matters who says a thing. When God speaks, He does so from the vantage point of His omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. It implies that these  exclusive attributes of God back what He says. Therefore, you would do well to remember that, as we reverently examine the other components of the verse and their significance for us.
THE MEANING OF A PLAN
The dictionary defines a plan as : (1) something that you intend to do or achieve. (2) a set of things to do in order to achieve something, especially one that has been considered in detail in advance.
   From the foregoing definition, it is clear that God’s plans for you are the things He intends to do or achieve with your life. Secondly, the definition indicates that God’s plans for you includes His arrangements for achieving them – a set of things to do in order to achieve the plans. Finally, it reveals that God’s plans for you are comprehensive and preceded you, as they have been  considered in detail in advance. Hence, God’s plans for you involve: His  intention, attention and arrangement.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GOD’S PLANS FOR YOU
God’s plans for you signifies the following :
   Firstly, you are not an accident of creation. For God to state categorically that He has plans for you, clearly indicates that He does not consider you an afterthought. Your parents may not have planned to have you. They may even not have wanted you or known, initially, that you were coming. However that  does not mean that God was also unaware of your coming. God knew you before you were conceived, just as He had known Jeremiah before he was formed (Jer 1: 4,5). Even if your parents had had an illicit affair that resulted in your conception, it still does not make you illegitimate. No child is illegitimate, irrespective of the nature of the union between his or her father and mother. Take solace in God’s unconditional acceptance of you.
   Secondly, God is conscious of you; He is mindful of you. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you “, is the NKJV’S rendition of the first line of Jeremiah 29: 11. This implies that the fact of God’s having plans for you includes His thinking continuously about you. Isn’t it heartwarming that you are never out of God’s mind. He is ever conscious of you. This means that you are never forgotten by God. God’s response: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See I have inscribed you on the palm of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isa 49: 15,16), to Zion’s misguided accusations is equally applicable to you. It also important to note that what God thinks about you all day long are, “thoughts of peace and not of evil “(Jer 29: 11 NKJV ). Therefore, rest assured that any evil thought, intention or action directed at you, does not originate from God and will not prosper (Isa 54:17).
      The third significance of the fact that God has plans for you is that He values you. Of course, it should go without saying that, if God is mindful of you, then you are of value to Him. Infact every storm the devil arouses against you is intended to distract you from this fact. It has been his age-old tactic. Take Jesus for instance, at His baptism, God spoke the following words concerning Him :”This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3: 17). Without equivocation or conditions, God had affirmed the status of Jesus as His beloved Son. However, shortly after, while Jesus was in the wilderness fasting, the devil said to Him:”If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (Matt 4: 3). The devil’s sole purpose was to get Jesus to doubt the unconditional validity of the word God had spoken concerning Him (Jesus ). Thank God for the response Jesus gave him, indicating God’s will that we base our lives and worth on His unchanging word. Therefore, take the words of the following scripture verses to heart (Isa 43: 1,4; Lk 12: 6,7; 1Peter 2: 9).
   Fourthly, God considers Himself responsible for you. In the first place, you are not the owner of your life (Jer 10: 23 NIV ). For God to have plans for you implies that He takes responsibility for your welfare. Note that the word “plans” is in the plural in the verse under consideration. What this means is that God’s responsibility towards you is exhaustive – from the cradle to the grave (Isa 46: 3-5). You should, for this reason, surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, who cares for you because of His unconditional love for you.
   Finally, God has a purpose for your life. That God had already planned for you before you were born, speaks of the reality of a purpose He wants to achieve with your life. There are problems God sent you here to solve. There are challenges you are the solution to. There are questions you are the answer to. Therefore glorify God in the words of Psalm 139: 14, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And [that] my soul knows very well”. Shallom.