"He Knows"

"I say this because I know what I am planning for you, says the Lord. I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!" Jeremiah 29:11-13
Ever wonder why you go through "bad" things in life? I know I do. And I must admit, my first instinct is to cry out...why me? I'm a good person. I didn't ask for this. It's not fair. Sound familiar?
As I grow in Christ, I'm beginning to see, it's not always about me or my selfish wants and desires. It's all about him! What we consider to be "bad" things may ultimately be a "good" thing for us or for someone else. God is in control and knows what he is doing.
Consider this...God may be using the storm in your life to bring you to the point where you are broken and ready to be accepting of his will for your life. When we have our own agendas, he can't do his work. He needs us to be open and willing to listen.
He may also be using the storm in your life to help someone else. Today the Lord used me to help someone that is going through a similar storm that I experienced 20 years ago. How crazy is it that God knew 20 years ago that I would be sharing my experience with someone else today? That just blows my mind. That's how awesome our God is!
While God's plans are not always the plan we would have for ourselves, it's always the better path. If you are making choices that you know are not pleasing to God, search your heart and repent! Everyone sins (both Christians and non-believers). The difference is, if you are a Christian, you feel convicted and ashamed. You won't want to bathe in your sin for too long before you realize you need to take a bath. Ask the Lord to forgive you and you will be forgiven.
The Lord tells us in Jeremiah that if we search for him, we will find him. We just need to ask. It's then that we will begin to see the plans he has laid out for us and the work he is doing in our lives.
Good or bad, our experiences make us who we are. Allow the Lord to move in your life in a mighty way using your experiences to change your life and help others in need.