His plan is good

Valentines Day 2016 - look what was growing in our garden - a tangible, sweet smelling reminder of God's love for us. 

I wondered when He would prompt me to use this photo. Well today is the day, a day when  about two thousand years ago the world was in turmoil, and people were asking where is God? What is He doing? What is His plan now? (probably not too different to the questions many people are asking in today's world).

We, being blessed to live all these years later have the privilege of knowing what happened on the next day - Victory and reconciliation. Just as God knew then. He had a plan.

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bring us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 NLT

Jesus is central to the plan.

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.  Ephesians 1:7 NLT

Jesus, our available every day, sweetness to all our senses, expression of God's love to us. Not just a fleeting expression from about two thousand years ago, but an every moment expression we can experience, if we yield to Him. Jesus is not like the rose that gradually wilts and dies. No He Lives. He Lives. He Lives.

[Again, the former successive line of priests] was made up of many, because they were each prevented by death from continuing [perpetually in office]; But He holds His priesthood unchangeably, because He lives on forever. 
Hebrews 7:23-24 AMP

And what does that mean for us?

Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them. Hebrews 7:25 AMP

God had a plan all the time. He still has a plan today. So today let's thank Him and chose to keep trusting that His plan is good. A plan that focuses on living abundantly in the 'now', and into eternity. A plan written in our hearts - Jesus.

This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't gong to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the linings of their hearts. I'll be their God, they'll be my people. They won't go to school to learn about me, or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons. They'll all get to know me firsthand, the little and the big, the small and the great. They'll get to know me by being kindly forgiven with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean. Hebrews 8:10-12 The Message