God Tells Us His Plan

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

—Psalm 16:11, emphasis added

THE SPIRITUAL MESSAGE-Christ is seeking out His church. The last message Jesus has for us is His wonderful plan! He has spelled out what He wants us to be like, and He has detailed how He, by His grace, will enable us to live such a wonderful life!

Christ offers an abundant life: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). This means that true believers have abundant lives in paradise regained. Jesus described what we have in Him as an overflowing life: “He who believes in Me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).

There is no life like Christ’s in us! It is an extraordinary life: He came “ that [we] may have life, and that [we] may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). The word “abundant,” perissos, means “over and above, more than is necessary, exceeding abundantly, supremely.”

This is what grips the world. This is why, when you are going through a prophetic study, you must come to terms with this question: If you lost all your physical assets—real estate, stocks, bonds and retirement accounts—what would you have left? Your real treasure—Jesus Christ! Think about it: while your things still have value, give them to the Lord instead of regretting it later when their value is gone. God says, “What you keep you lose, but what you give lasts forever!”

Christ offers an indestructible life: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11).

There are two very powerful truths that assure us. Jesus promised that we will be secure from any physical adversary: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).

Paul reminds us that we are also secure from any spiritual adversary: Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

Christ offers an inexhaustible supply: “To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it” (Revelation 2:17).

Jesus promises that all our spiritual needs will be met: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and He who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Non-Christians look at us and, on the surface, they may see only our suffering. Yet a Christian, even one in the hospital suffering from cancer or another deadly disease, can still encourage fellow believers when they visit or phone the patient. This is God’s inexhaustible supply!

Jesus also assures us that all our spiritual desires, those prompted by the Holy Spirit, will be fulfilled: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14, NIV). Wherever you are— hospital bed, retirement home, on the job, or on the road—you can have His inexhaustible supply and, through prayer, see God acting to take His glorious power to the ends of the earth. The checkbook of faith is backed by an inexhaustible account. All the power of the Godhead is operational by faith through our prayers.

Christ offers an inexpressible future: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations” (Revelation 2:26). God will reward us with immeasurable treasures: “There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

As you follow Jesus, you should be willing to leave all behind for the sake of the gospel. If you do, God will one day overwhelm you with unbelievable pleasures! The apostle Paul, after he had been “caught up into Paradise,” would have excitedly shared what he saw and heard, but he was not permitted to do so. For God said that it was “not lawful for a man to utter” (2 Corinthians 12:4). But this we do know: Paul experienced a remarkable foretaste of what Christ has in store for those who love Him! Are you excited about all that He has planned for you?