Has anyone ever told you that God has a great plan for you? Plans to prosper you and not to harm you? As what Jeremiah 29:12 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” So if what this verse says is true, why is it that not everyone experiences his great plan? You might even be asking yourself the question: why am I not receiving the promises of God? Am I the exception to God’s word?

Well, the good news is no one is an exception to God’s word. God’s word is true in no matter what circumstance you will face in life. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” Everything that is said in the bible is meant to be a part of our life. It says in this verse that scripture is God-breathed- it is like oxygen to our lungs. Scripture is called God-breathed because it brings life to our souls. Like oxygen, we need scripture daily and cannot survive without it. It cleanses our body and souls, and is pleasant to consume.

So now that we know that God’s word is true and is needed in our lives, why does scripture not apply to everyone’s life? You might even see Christians who love God, yet the fruit of their lives do not portray the promises of God. The answer is because our life is a race and a chase.  We live a 2 way chase:

1) Our chase towards God and the plan that he has for us which is the finish line

2) Satan’s chase towards us to slow us down from reaching that finish line

Like any race, the only way to win it is to run. Run to that finish line and do not let anything slow down. Run with boldness in Christ, speed to resist temptations, and faith to endure the race. The reason why many people do not reach the great plans that God has for them is because they let satan win the chase towards them, and they lose their chase towards God.

Hebrews 12:1 says, “..let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Not many people realize that our life is a race. But in this verse, God has already settled out a race for us to run. The bible refers our life as a race many times. We must run the race of life or we will lose. God does have great plans for us, but if we just sit around and not run the race, our competitor Satan will catch up to us and slow us down. Once he slows us down, he will try to keep us down so that we will never reach that finish line of God’s great plan for us. Although God is powerful and almighty, you still have the power to take his favor away from you because he gives you the choice to live in freedom. He gives you the choice to make your own choices, and even the power to allow Satan to block the plans that God has for you.

God is always ahead of you, cheering for you to catch up to him. But then there is also Satan who is chasing after you- to slow and stop you from reaching God and his plans for you. Even if you have run the race well and are almost close to that finish line, Satan will always still be behind you, chasing you until the very end. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober-mind. Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Satan will never give up on chasing you, so you need to remember to not to give up on chasing God.

When I look back at my own life, I can remember the moments when I did allow satan to take a hold of me and slow down my race towards God. You might even be in a situation right now where you have allowed Satan to slow you down, but the good news is you still have the race and it is not over until Jesus comes. Don’t give up on your race because God will always be waiting for you. He wants you to reach that great plan that he has planned for you long before you were born. Isaiah 25:1 says, “..for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”

My prayer for all of you reading this is to never give up on chasing God. God will always have a great way of turning bad into good. With God, you will always have hope to turn your life around. I hope that we could all be like Timothy and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). So remember, let’s win this race.