The defining characteristic of God’s plan for our life is that it always remains above what we can comprehend.  As we move one step and then another into the plans of God, we enjoy the increase, but the plan of God always has more.  There is no point of fulfillment where we have gone as far as we can go with God. His provision and blessings are limitless.  This is a glorious thing about the plan of God. But this also means there are blessings so great that we have not yet seen them, nor imagined them (1 Corinthians 2:9).  We don’t know what we don’t know.

2 Corinthians 7:1

​1 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

(NIV)

The promises we have from the Lord are of His plans for us.  The Bible clearly teaches us that He has a plan for every human soul (Jeremiah 29:11).  He knows us individually and He has a plan for our life. Finding the plan is the difficult part.  I wrote a whole book about it called “Prepare For Greater Things.”  This is because the plan that God has for us is based on His promises which are always ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).  And the greatest news is that He is faithful even when we are not. When we are working against the Lord and moving away from His plan, He is working to draw us back to Him and His promises.  

Even though He is always working to get us back into the promises, when He brings us back, we must do our part.  The promises of God are many times quid pro quo (I just thought I would use that term since it’s in the news so much right now :P).  Let’s look at the promises that our Verse of the Day is referring to:

2 Corinthians 6:16-18

As God has said:

“I will live with them

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they will be my people.”

17 Therefore,

“Come out from them

and be separate,

says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you.”

18 And,

“I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

(NIV)

God’s promises to us here are wonderful.  First He says that He will walk among us. The Holy Spirit who is God manifested in our own hearts and minds allows us to be more intimate with God than any other relationship if we learn how to be in the spirit.  He is not far from us. He is not watching other things not paying attention to us. He is right there with you. Wherever you are reading this blog from, He is there with you. In the car, He is there. (Of course, you shouldn’t be reading unless you are stuck in traffic.)  In your living room, in your cubicle, in the hospital, in prison, wherever you are He is there with you (Romans 10:8).  

Second, He says He will be our God.  That is a magnificent statement. He will be to us all that He is.  He is all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, in control of all, undefeatable, the King of all Kings and Ruler of everything.  On top of that, God’s greatest adversary did not even make him sweat when he rose up against the Lord. The devil mustered up all the power and support He could get and stormed the throne in Heaven.  God said ‘Get out.’ Like the soldiers trying to arrest Jesus fell back (John 18:1-6) every rebellious demon in Heaven fell out of Heaven immediately (Luke 10:18). With this power, He ministers to our needs, desires, and gives to us freely in absolute beneficence.

Third, He promises to love us like a Father loves His children.  The Bible tells us to look no further than our relationship with our own children and how much we love them.  Then, consider how impure our hearts are compared to the Lord Almighty. Our capacity to love is so minuscule compared to how He loves.  His love is like a Father who never stops loving. I am a father now and I have two adult children. My love for them hasn’t changed just because they are out on their own.  I have one awesome teenager still at home and I will never love him more or less than I do now. But my ability to love is a fraction (like 1 gazillionth if that is even a number) compared to His love for His children.

But there are many parents out there who love their children, but they are not allowed to be their Mom or Dad because of conflict and separation between them and their children. The Lord promises not simply to love us as His children, but He promises to BE our Father.  But how is this possible because the child has a choice of whether or not to remain connected relationally to his or her father. Well, therein is the rub of all of this.

We all want God to fulfill His promises but look at our part of this whole thing.  To receive the promises in full, we must touch no unclean thing. We must pursue holiness.  Every time we do not pursue holiness, we are moving away from the promises of God. The Lord is convicting me even now of how much more He wants to do for me, in me, and through me, but when I pursue wickedness or simply don’t pursue holiness, I’m missing out.  The problem is that what I am missing out on is something I have never seen. I don’t know what I don’t know. This is why the righteous live by faith.  

When we choose to live righteously and pursue holiness in faith, we don’t have to know the next part of His grand plan for our life.  In fact, if we did know the next big thing He wants to do for us, we might pursue Him with the wrong motive-just to get something. But the righteous live for Him with faith that He will do what He does-be our God, be our Father, and never stop loving us.  Isn’t that enough? Let’s touch no unclean thing. Let’s keep our eyes from any vile thing. Let’s fill our heart with the wonders of our Maker and He will keep His promises.

Hey guys, if this has been a blessing to you, think about someone who also needs to hear this message.  Forward this to them, share it on social media.  We need to do all we can to help people find the glory of our God.  And if YOU have not yet read my free ebook on emotional healing, download it and read it today.  Emotional healing is so difficult, but until we know how to apply the healing power of God, we will stay wounded and those wounds will keep us from all God has for us.

Live Blessed and Be A Blessing!