To Know Him and to Be Like Him

Through His Word God's purposes are discovered. Study His Word and you will begin to understand what He desires for you—to "know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:10, NASB). God's purpose is for us to be saved and "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29b). To know Him and to be like Him. That is what God wants for each one of us.

Consider Jeremiah's words, and pay special attention to the greater context of what he said. Jeremiah also makes clear the truth that God's call is on your life as a believer. The context of his words is his prophecy that the exiles will return from Babylon in seventy years. "For this is what the LORD says: 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will let Myself be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile'" (Jer. 29:10-14, NASB).

Jeremiah is speaking here of God's specific plan for His people Israel. His plan for Israel involves a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. His plan for Israel involves blessing all nations of all times through Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection the third day. Our forgiveness at the cross and our salvation in Christ is all part of that plan. So the application of these verses in Jeremiah expands to include all of us.

These verses go hand in hand. God says to us, "For I know the plans that I have for you" (v. 11). He also "has saved us and called us with a holy calling… according to His own purpose" (2 Tim. 1:9). So He has "called us" according to "the plans" He has for us. He has "called us" to fulfill His "plans" in us. Plans that stretch throughout all eternity. Plans for a special relationship with each one of us. Plans for us to become like Jesus (Rom. 8:29b). And all of this is revealed by His Spirit: "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:10a). Amen.