3rd MONTHLY STUDENTS’ FELLOWSHIP
The Fisher Valley College
C5 Annex Campus
Taguig City
22 August 2011 (Monday)
10:00am-12:00nn
SPEAKER: Marlon B. Raquel, Faculty Member
TOPIC: GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU: A FUTURE OF SUCCESS FILLED WITH HOPE
VERSE: Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -NIV
“I will bless you with a future filled with hope – a future of success, not of suffering.” –CEV
“Ako lamang ang nakaaalam ng mga panukalang inihahanda ko para sa ikabubuti ninyo, at para dulutan kayo ng pag-asa sa hinaharap.” –TPV
MAIN POINTS:
1. There is a presence of relationship between God and you.
When we talk of relationship, we always think of two persons understanding each other. You cannot share sensitive things to a person unless he or she is your friend, a trusted friend. Likewise, parents of our friends cannot make plans for our future. It is only our parents who think and plan for our success in the future. So when God tells you that He has plans for you, be joyful! It means that God considers you as His son or daughter. Are there times you feel like no one cares for you? Are there times when you realize that no one understands you as you go to bed? And as you leave your home, you always think that your life is going nowhere? My friend, you are one of the most privileged individuals in the world. God is speaking to you right now. He talks to you because you are important to Him. God is fully aware that there is a relationship that exists between you and Him, therefore, you must also realize that this relationship entitles you to confide to God your deepest secrets, your happy moments with your friends, your frustrations with your mother who always nags at you, or your frustrations with your studies. Your relationship with the Lord is the most important thing you can have in this ephemeral world.
2. God prepares plans for you. He thinks of your future.
God is the Lord not just in the ancient times, not just today, but of the future as well. Being his child entitles you of many benefits. It is Him Who plans for your future. God designs the blueprint to which we must follow. A captain of a ship has a compass which guides him as his ship sails in the seas. A tourist has a map which shows directions of different places. Likewise, God’s plan is your roadmap to success. No matter how you exert all your efforts doing everything to achieve success in life, if you put God aside, that would be meaningless. It is comforting to know that there is someone who is thinking of your future.
I remember few years ago when I was in my fourth year in high school, my father told me that I wouldn’t be able to enter college because of financial difficulties. I could not accept what I heard from him. I knew from my heart that my father wanted me to get a college degree but he couldn’t help me. That was the time when I started to attend Bible studies conducted in my boarding house and I started to hear the word of the Lord for the first time in my life. So I said, “Lord, if you really exist and that you really know the needs of my family, you will not forget me. You will let me enter college and get a college degree.” Alas, God heard my prayers! I had encountered a lot of trials and problems as a student but that did not hinder me from achieving my dreams. There were countless school days when I attended my classes without taking breakfasts. I deliberately skipped lunch meals just to save several pesos which I would eventually use for photocopies of my readings. It was a sacrifice but I constantly held on to the promise of God that “He will never leave me nor forsake me.” You can do the same. Why should you believe? Because God says so, and when He says a promise, I am confident that He will going to fulfil that in your life. God thinks of your future and makes plans for it. It is up to you to materialize it. It is true that God thinks and plans for our future but He needs your cooperation. Would you willing to help God fulfil His promises in your life?
3. God’s plans are made to prosper you and give you hope in life.
When a child asks for bread, would a parent give him a snake? No. There is no parent in this world that would do that unless the parent is crazy enough. Your parent’s plans for you are for your own good. They are designed for your success. If you question your parents, come to think of this: Why are you here in the first place? It is because your parents think of your future, plan for your future, and give you a chance to experience the goodness of life. This is exactly what God does for us. His plans are made for your prosperity, not to harm you. By making sacrifices in your studies in this institution, you are making your parents happy. Make your mama and your papa proud.
CONCLUSION:
Life is not easy in this world, no matter how we relate well with our friends and neighbours. What God promised is that every time we feel the burden and it seems that we cannot hold it any longer, He is there to carry that burden and yes, even us, He can carry. Remember the story of the footsteps in the sand.
We are who we are today because of the choices we have made in the past. We will become who will be in the future because of the choices we will make today. If we are clear with ourselves that we are students of God, then there is nothing to worry. Just as we are able to confidently share our happy moments and frustrations with our best friends without condemnation, we can share to God whatever we would like to tell Him. He has magnificent plans for our lives. These plans are made to prosper us. He is thinking for our future – the very hope of our lives.
Let us help ourselves realize these plans. If you enjoy being absent in classes or you always cut classes, stop that. Do not give your parents and your professors a headache. If you feel the urge to cheat during quizzes and exams, you better straighten yourself up. It’s better to get zero with a clear conscience than getting a perfect score by using evil means. If you see yourself as a useless man or woman, common, get your mirror and look at the reflection in the mirror. Tell yourself this way, “I am a precious creation of the perfect hands of the Lord. God is preparing for my bright future filled with hope. I will survive. I can overcome whatever onslaughts this life may bring. With God, I will soar above my dreams and expectations.”
And soon, we will realize how sweet it is to live.
--http://kingsrebel.blogspot.com--
