In these times where there is competence all around, we also tend to take everything within our own strength. We’ve been so confident in ourselves which in the end leads us to disappointment and exhaustion. God said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

God said, “Come.” It’s an invitation. The moment you feel like there’s no strength, He wants you to “come.” For the times that you were surrounded with failures, the Lord wants you to “come.” Whenever you feel inadequate and restless, the best thing to do is to “come” near to the presence of God.

Who are invited? Whoever is feeling lowly in spirit, those who are of no direction, those who are powerless, and those who just accepted that he can’t do it all alone. You think you are one of those? You are always free to come before Jesus who is our Blessed Hope.

To whom will you find strength? To whom can you find peace? This attractive world gave us lots of deceiving options where we thought we can do everything, and that we can enjoy everything we want to do. Yet, this world fails us. Our friends fail us. Our family fails us too. We, in our own way, fail ourselves. You might be surrounded with disappointment from a colleague, a family member, or from a goal you just failed to achieve. But there is good news!

Somebody who is mightier and powerful than anyone in this world is asking you to give up. Giving up is the best thing to do. When you are left with nothing, the only thing left for you to do is give up. There is nothing wrong with giving up. The moment you feel like giving up, that is where humility sets in. That is the time that you are human. Being human means you’re not perfect. Being human means you have limitations. Being human means you are weak, you grow weary and you need somebody to enable you. Accepting these facts might not be that easy for you but once you humble yourself, somebody will lift you up. Jesus will lift you up.

He was once a human and that he knows what you feel right now. He knows how it feels to be persecuted and dehumanized. He knows you, you who always run alone. He hears you when you cry. He wants to heal your broken heart. Now, the only thing you have to do is accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and He is more than willing to accept you as His own child. Our qualities as humans are exactly the reason why we need Him to be the Lord and Savior of our lives. In Him, there is peace, in Him there is strength, and in Him there is hope and salvation. The thing that you need to do is to give up and trust in Him because Jesus already died for you and is now living for you. So, who else do you need? Are you willing to accept His invitation? The thing for you to do is “come.”

But often we forget to include a very important part in our intricate plans. We forget to put God in the center of it. Psalm 94:11 says, “The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile”. We can plan and plan all we want but it is God who has the ultimate say in everything. “Many are the plans in a human heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). Our plans will not always stand the test of time or the test of resilience. They will not always be possible and we will eventually experience disappointment. “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:11).

The Bible has several stories of people whose plans were not realized simply because it was their plan for themselves and not God’s. The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21) is one such story. We see a man who has yielded an abundant harvest. He deems himself secure for many years and now plans to just lie back; eat, drink, and be merry. But God has planned something else for him. That very night, his life was to be taken back. What, then, will happen to all the things that he has planned for?

We have to look no further than God’s Word to realize that God has everything under control. He tells us not to worry about anything because in the end, it is His will that will prevail. And His will is always so much more beautiful than ours. Jeremiah 29:11 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 hope and a future”. This passage is so reassuring because it tells us that we do not have to rely on futile human plans, there is a greater plan that has been made for us ever since the beginning of time. When we do plan, let us remember to look to God for his guidance in every step we make and allow Him to be at the center of everything that we have to do. The Bible instructs us to, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans”(Proverbs 16:3).

Most importantly, let us commit our lives for His purpose and His will. God has prepared good things for us and He is our infinite reward. In Isaiah 14:24, God promises that “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen”).  Keep in mind that God’s ultimate plan for us, the one thing that resounds throughout scripture, is our salvation.

This is the story of a man named Zach.

One day, Jesus went through the city of Jericho.  Many people were following him.  There, lived a man named Zach.  He was a tax collector.  Zach was a very rich man.  But he was greedy and dishonest.  He gained money by cheating people.  When he knew that Jesus was going to pass through their city, He wanted to see what he was like so he rushed to the streets downtown and waited there for Jesus.  When Jesus was passing, he tried his best to move close to him.  However, there were many people around Jesus and he found it difficult to see him.  Zach was a short man and could not see over the crowd.

In his disappointment, he walked away.  Then as he turned his back from the crowd, he noticed a sycamore tree in front of him.  So he ran quickly ahead of the crowd.  In a hurry, he climbed up the sycamore tree and waited there eagerly to see Jesus.

When Jesus got there, he looked up and said to him, “Zach, hurry down!  I want to stay with you today.”

When he heard what Jesus said, he quickly came down and gladly welcomed him to his home.  Everyone who saw this was unhappy and said. “Look!  Jesus is going to the home of that bad guy.”

Jesus did not care about what the people said because he wanted to show Zach his love.  Zach totally changed that same day.  He stood up and said to Jesus, “Lord, I will give half of what I have to the poor.  And I will pay back four times as much to everyone I ever cheated.”

Jesus said, “Today you and your family have been saved.  I come to this world in order to look for and savepeople who are like you.”

What a nice story, isn’t it?  How about you?  Have you ever cheated people?  Have you been dishonest?  Have you done wrong things?  Jesus loved Zach and wanted to help him.  Jesus also loves you and wants to help you. WE all have sinned and need the salvation that he offers.  Do you want to believe in Him and accept Him as your savior?