Does God have a plan for our lives?

[wintersolstice]

I often hear Christians say that they believe that God has a plan for our lives. I find this puzzling. Does it mean that each individual human has a plan developed by God for the events of life or does it mean that God guides the general trend of humanity?
Where in scripture or scriptural interpretation does this idea originate?
Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[Baladas]

It always struck me as odd too, and I honestly never liked hearing it.
Romans 8:30, and Ephesians 1:4-5 come to mind, as well as Jeremiah 1:5 come to mind as far as Bible verses go.

"Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." - Romans 8:30

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." - Ephesians 1:4-6

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” - Jeremiah 1:5

So, it seems to me that by these the Bible seems to state that our lives are planned.
There are other verses as well...but I can't quite remember the exact verses.

There are also a great deal of Christians who believe the opposite. As a Christian, I believed both. That God had a plan for our lives, but that his plan for us individually would only be truly fulfilled in a relationship with him.

Obviously, answers will vary.

Though I'm not longer a Christian, I hope my post helped a bit.

 

[JayJayDee]

It always struck me as odd too, and I honestly never liked hearing it.
Romans 8:30, and Ephesians 1:4-5 come to mind, as well as Jeremiah 1:5 come to mind as far as Bible verses go.

"Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." - Romans 8:30

I would like to venture a different take on these scriptures you have quoted.

This one in Romans 8:30 is speaking about God's anointed ones who are to rule with Christ in his kingdom. Revelation gives a finite number for these ones as a group. (Rev 14:1, 3, 4) It is the group that is foreordained not the individuals within the group. If it were individuals, then scriptures such as Heb 10:26, 27 would not make sense.

Hebrews 10:26-27...."For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." (ESV)

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." - Ephesians 1:4-6

This verse more correctly says..."even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will..."

Again, this is addressing the group who were predestined before "the foundation of the world". This is not the foundation of the planet as in creation, but the "foundation" of the world of mankind descended from Adam. The original Hebrew word meant the laying down of seed (as in human conception) This was before any children were born to them, hence before the foundation of the human race.
The first prophesy in Gen 3:15 was a response to Adam's sin and foretold the coming of a seed who was Jesus Christ.
The whole kingdom arrangement that went with him was hidden in that sacred mystery for thousands of years until Jesus came and he chose those who would make up the foundations of that kingdom. This is what was predestined.....not the individuals.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” - Jeremiah 1:5

This scripture pertains to Jeremiah himself, chosen by God to be his prophet before his birth. It is not speaking about people generally. Some individuals like Jeremiah, Sampson and John the Baptist were chosen for special assignments in the outworking of God's purpose before they were born or even conceived.

So, it seems to me that by these the Bible seems to state that our lives are planned.
There are other verses as well...but I can't quite remember the exact verses.

There are also a great deal of Christians who believe the opposite. As a Christian, I believed both. That God had a plan for our lives, but that his plan for us individually would only be truly fulfilled in a relationship with him.

Obviously, answers will vary.

I don't believe that our lives are planned at all, otherwise free will is a myth. It is we who determine our own destiny by the choices we make. Just as Adam chose to disobey with dire consequences, we have have to realize that as free agents, they could have made other choices....so could the devil.

What would have happened if Eve had told the serpent to go away? What if Adam had refused to join his wife in rebellion....what if the devil had not tempted the woman in the garden? All would have meant a different outcome.

Nothing was planned......choices were put before them and those choices determined the outcome. God was prepared for all contingencies. Whatever arises, he deals with it according to his purpose.

 

[Baladas]

I am always glad for a different perspective.

I would like to venture a different take on these scriptures you have quoted.

This one in Romans 8:30 is speaking about God's anointed ones who are to rule with Christ in his kingdom. Revelation gives a finite number for these ones as a group. (Rev 14:1, 3, 4) It is the group that is foreordained not the individuals within the group. If it were individuals, then scriptures such as Heb 10:26, 27 would not make sense.

Hebrews 10:26-27...."For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." (ESV)

That's very true. I suppose that I may be approaching this from a slightly different understanding of "planned" and" predestined".

This verse more correctly says..."even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will..."

Again, this is addressing the group who were predestined before "the foundation of the world". This is not the foundation of the planet as in creation, but the "foundation" of the world of mankind descended from Adam. The original Hebrew word meant the laying down of seed (as in human conception) This was before any children were born to them, hence before the foundation of the human race.
The first prophesy in Gen 3:15 was a response to Adam's sin and foretold the coming of a seed who was Jesus Christ.
The whole kingdom arrangement that went with him was hidden in that sacred mystery for thousands of years until Jesus came and he chose those who would make up the foundations of that kingdom. This is what was predestined.....not the individuals.

If the predestination were not individual, then I fail to see how this could qualify as personal love in any way. Are groups not made up of individuals?

I'm also uncertain how the implications of the verse are ultimately very different with your translation, in regards to those spoken of. I apologize...What are you trying to convey that I am missing?

This scripture pertains to Jeremiah himself, chosen by God to be his prophet before his birth. It is not speaking about people generally. Some individuals like Jeremiah, Sampson and John the Baptist were chosen for special assignments in the outworking of God's purpose before they were born or even conceived.

No, I understand that. I only ended it as an example of predestination.

I don't believe that our lives are planned at all, otherwise free will is a myth. It is we who determine our own destiny by the choices we make. Just as Adam chose to disobey with dire consequences, we have have to realize that as free agents, they could have made other choices....so could the devil.

What would have happened if Eve had told the serpent to go away? What if Adam had refused to join his wife in rebellion....what if the devil had not tempted the woman in the garden? All would have meant a different outcome.

Nothing was planned......choices were put before them and those choices determined the outcome. God was prepared for all contingencies. Whatever arises, he deals with it according to his purpose.

I agree with you...I suppose I am not being very clear. What I meant by that was that I believed that God had intentions and desired outcomes (ultimately, regarding reconciliation) that He would prefer were accomplished in every human life, but that He would not transgress on our free will.

In this way, He had a plan for us all (to save us) but that plan would only be accomplished for those people who freely chose to submit to Him and to live a live of devotion to Him.

I am not aware of all of the differences in belief that exist between Jehovah's Witnesses and my old faith, but it has been interesting to learn.

What do you believe regarding these verses?:

"Since his days are determined,
and the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass," - Job 14:5

"Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." - Psalm 139:4

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them." - Psalm 139:16

Would these Psalms be more of a personal truth for David, or perhaps they simply are declaring that God knows what will happen (rather than planned it)?

 

[JayJayDee]

If the predestination were not individual, then I fail to see how this could qualify as personal love in any way. Are groups not made up of individuals?

I'm also uncertain how the implications of the verse are ultimately very different with your translation, in regards to those spoken of. I apologize...What are you trying to convey that I am missing?

Sorry if I was not clear.....I'll try again....

The scripture you quoted said "before the creation of the world", which is misleading. It wasn't the creation of "the world" which most people imagine is the creation of the planet itself.....what it is saying is that before the creation of the human race descended from disobedient Adam and his wife, (the foundation of the world of humankind) God had in place the means to save them. He stepped in with a promise right there in the garden, to rescue "the world" of mankind who would come from the now sinful humans; born defective because of the sin of their parents. (Rom 5:12) This takes away the notion of pre-destination. God has a purpose, rather than a plan.

It can be likened to a destination rather than a set route. Just as we might have a destination in mind when planning a road trip, the route taken will depend on a number of things....like roadblocks, breakdowns unplanned excursions etc. No matter the detour for whatever reason, we will still arrive at our planned destination.

I agree with you...I suppose I am not being very clear. What I meant by that was that I believed that God had intentions and desired outcomes (ultimately, regarding reconciliation) that He would prefer were accomplished in every human life, but that He would not transgress on our free will.

Yes, this is exactly what the Bible says. God's will is what will ultimately be done "on earth as it is in heaven" but whether we align our will with God's will, is the determining factor in salvation.

In this way, He had a plan for us all (to save us) but that plan would only be accomplished for those people who freely chose to submit to Him and to live a live of devotion to Him.

And we had to run the gauntlet of the "weeds" of false Christianity that Jesus said would be sown by the devil.
According to Jesus, the "many" will fall victim to the teachings of the weeds and disqualify themselves from everlasting life. (Matt7:13, 14; 21-23) Those who put any other "god" in place of the Father is guilty of breaking the first commandment. Christendom has made Jesus into Almighty God, which is something neither the scriptures nor Jesus himself ever do. This most serious blasphemy has become the very foundation of Christendom and we know what Jesus taught about building on a faulty foundation......when the storm comes, the whole building will collapse. The storm is descending as we speak. The collapse will be colossal.

I am not aware of all of the differences in belief that exist between Jehovah's Witnesses and my old faith, but it has been interesting to learn.

I too like to understand what others believe.

What do you believe regarding these verses?:

"Since his days are determined,
and the number of his months is with you,
and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass," - Job 14:5

It is good to take that verse in context.
In the 14th chapter, Job was exploring the seeming puzzle of death.

A number of God's servants in the Bible have had their lives mapped out so to speak. But this is not true of all.
When you consider that this chapter is Job's commentary on man's fleeting life and his prospects after death, his words can teach us much about what faithful men of old believed even before the nation of Israel was formed.

He begins by saying....“Man, born of woman, Is short-lived and filled with trouble. He comes up like a blossom and then withers away" (Job 14:1, 2)

He goes on to say..."For there is hope even for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout again, And its twigs will continue to grow. If its root grows old in the ground And its stump dies in the soil, At the scent of water it will sprout; And it will produce branches like a new plant. But a man dies and lies powerless; When a human expires, where is he?" (7-10)

What he says next is interesting....."Man also lies down and does not get up. Until heaven is no more, they will not wake up, Nor will they be aroused from their sleep. O that in the Grave you would conceal me, That you would hide me until your anger passes by, That you would set a time limit for me and remember me! If a man dies, can he live again? I will wait all the days of my compulsory service Until my relief comes. You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands". (12-15)

Here Job answers his own questions. He acknowledges that man is powerless over death, but that God has a "longing for the work of his hands". He did not design humans for this transient life filled with tragedy and strife. He hates to see humans suffering like this because of a rebellion that happened way back at the beginning of man's history. But Job also knew that God would not leave us in death. He knew about the "compulsory service" where we would all do "time" in the grave for Adam's sin, but because of the injustice he had a rescue mission already mapped out.

A resurrection is what Job spoke about. He said "You will call and I will answer you" which fits exactly what Jesus said about the future general resurrection of mankind who are presently "sleeping" in their graves. (John 5:28, 29 11:11-14)

This is not the "first resurrection" of those who will rule with Christ in heaven, (Rev 20:6) but the resurrection of all those who will be ruled by them on earth, both the "righteous and the unrighteous". (Rev 21:2-5) This includes all the men and women of pre-Christian times who did not know the Christ and were therefore not taken into the new covenant.

Dealing with the rebellion in this way sets precedents for all eternity to come, eliminating any basis for rebellion of free willed beings in the future. Free will is thus preserved (as the gift it was meant to be) in both the spirit and earthly realms of creation and the will of God can be done for all time to come, unassailed.

God has a purpose for the universe, not just the earth. Solving the problem of abuse of free will at the beginning opens up the way for God's will to be done in all creation forever. The sky is literally the limit. Its a big universe.

"Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." - Psalm 139:4

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them." - Psalm 139:16

We know that God is omniscient, so he knows even our thoughts before we speak a word.

Recent developments in science with mapping the human genome makes Psalm 139 :16 all the more meaningful.
God had the genome of man figuratively written in his book.

The Complete Jewish Bible renders that verse..."Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed."

Would these Psalms be more of a personal truth for David, or perhaps they simply are declaring that God knows what will happen (rather than planned it)?

Yes, David appears to be speaking about himself, not about mankind in general. God certainly had plans concerning David, as he was featured in the lineage of the Christ, just as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were.

Sometimes an adjustment in the way scripture is read can make a world of difference to our understanding.
If the square peg does not fit in the round hole, perhaps the round hole is not the right one. Look for the square hole.

 

[Baladas]

Sorry if I was not clear.....I'll try again....

The scripture you quoted said "before the creation of the world", which is misleading. It wasn't the creation of "the world" which most people imagine is the creation of the planet itself.....what it is saying is that before the creation of the human race descended from disobedient Adam and his wife, (the foundation of the world of humankind) God had in place the means to save them. He stepped in with a promise right there in the garden, to rescue "the world" of mankind who would come from the now sinful humans; born defective because of the sin of their parents. (Rom 5:12) This takes away the notion of pre-destination. God has a purpose, rather than a plan.

It can be likened to a destination rather than a set route. Just as we might have a destination in mind when planning a road trip, the route taken will depend on a number of things....like roadblocks, breakdowns unplanned excursions etc. No matter the detour for whatever reason, we will still arrive at our planned destination.



Yes, this is exactly what the Bible says. God's will is what will ultimately be done "on earth as it is in heaven" but whether we align our will with God's will, is the determining factor in salvation.



And we had to run the gauntlet of the "weeds" of false Christianity that Jesus said would be sown by the devil.
According to Jesus, the "many" will fall victim to the teachings of the weeds and disqualify themselves from everlasting life. (Matt7:13, 14; 21-23) Those who put any other "god" in place of the Father is guilty of breaking the first commandment. Christendom has made Jesus into Almighty God, which is something neither the scriptures nor Jesus himself ever do. This most serious blasphemy has become the very foundation of Christendom and we know what Jesus taught about building on a faulty foundation......when the storm comes, the whole building will collapse. The storm is descending as we speak. The collapse will be colossal.



I too like to understand what others believe.



It is good to take that verse in context.
In the 14th chapter, Job was exploring the seeming puzzle of death.

A number of God's servants in the Bible have had their lives mapped out so to speak. But this is not true of all.
When you consider that this chapter is Job's commentary on man's fleeting life and his prospects after death, his words can teach us much about what faithful men of old believed even before the nation of Israel was formed.

He begins by saying....“Man, born of woman, Is short-lived and filled with trouble. He comes up like a blossom and then withers away" (Job 14:1, 2)

He goes on to say..."For there is hope even for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout again, And its twigs will continue to grow. If its root grows old in the ground And its stump dies in the soil, At the scent of water it will sprout; And it will produce branches like a new plant. But a man dies and lies powerless; When a human expires, where is he?" (7-10)

What he says next is interesting....."Man also lies down and does not get up. Until heaven is no more, they will not wake up, Nor will they be aroused from their sleep. O that in the Grave you would conceal me, That you would hide me until your anger passes by, That you would set a time limit for me and remember me! If a man dies, can he live again? I will wait all the days of my compulsory service Until my relief comes. You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands". (12-15)

Here Job answers his own questions. He acknowledges that man is powerless over death, but that God has a "longing for the work of his hands". He did not design humans for this transient life filled with tragedy and strife. He hates to see humans suffering like this because of a rebellion that happened way back at the beginning of man's history. But Job also knew that God would not leave us in death. He knew about the "compulsory service" where we would all do "time" in the grave for Adam's sin, but because of the injustice he had a rescue mission already mapped out.

A resurrection is what Job spoke about. He said "You will call and I will answer you" which fits exactly what Jesus said about the future general resurrection of mankind who are presently "sleeping" in their graves. (John 5:28, 29 11:11-14)

This is not the "first resurrection" of those who will rule with Christ in heaven, (Rev 20:6) but the resurrection of all those who will be ruled by them on earth, both the "righteous and the unrighteous". (Rev 21:2-5) This includes all the men and women of pre-Christian times who did not know the Christ and were therefore not taken into the new covenant.

Dealing with the rebellion in this way sets precedents for all eternity to come, eliminating any basis for rebellion of free willed beings in the future. Free will is thus preserved (as the gift it was meant to be) in both the spirit and earthly realms of creation and the will of God can be done for all time to come, unassailed.

God has a purpose for the universe, not just the earth. Solving the problem of abuse of free will at the beginning opens up the way for God's will to be done in all creation forever. The sky is literally the limit. Its a big universe.



We know that God is omniscient, so he knows even our thoughts before we speak a word.

Recent developments in science with mapping the human genome makes Psalm 139 :16 all the more meaningful.
God had the genome of man figuratively written in his book.

The Complete Jewish Bible renders that verse..."Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed."



Yes, David appears to be speaking about himself, not about mankind in general. God certainly had plans concerning David, as he was featured in the lineage of the Christ, just as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were.

Sometimes an adjustment in the way scripture is read can make a world of difference to our understanding.
If the square peg does not fit in the round hole, perhaps the round hole is not the right one. Look for the square hole.

Thank you, I understand now.

It has been good to talk with you about this. Your views of these scriptures certainly make sense to me.

It seems that we mostly agree with the meaning of these scriptures, I was simply using the wrong terminology.

I'm sorry this isn't a longer response, but I am quite tired.

I would like to talk with you again sometime soon.

Be well.

 

[JayJayDee]

Thank you, I understand now.

It has been good to talk with you about this. Your views of these scriptures certainly make sense to me.

It seems that we mostly agree with the meaning of these scriptures, I was simply using the wrong terminology.

I'm sorry this isn't a longer response, but I am quite tired.

I would like to talk with you again sometime soon.

Be well.

I look forward to more discussions.

 

[wintersolstice]

It always struck me as odd too, and I honestly never liked hearing it.
Romans 8:30, and Ephesians 1:4-5 come to mind, as well as Jeremiah 1:5 come to mind as far as Bible verses go.

"Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." - Romans 8:30

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." - Ephesians 1:4-6

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” - Jeremiah 1:5

So, it seems to me that by these the Bible seems to state that our lives are planned.
There are other verses as well...but I can't quite remember the exact verses.

There are also a great deal of Christians who believe the opposite. As a Christian, I believed both. That God had a plan for our lives, but that his plan for us individually would only be truly fulfilled in a relationship with him.

Obviously, answers will vary.

Though I'm not longer a Christian, I hope my post helped a bit.

Thanks! I guess it is the context in which I hear Christians claim that god has a plan that reminds me more of being programmed rather than chosen. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[wintersolstice]

I would like to venture a different take on these scriptures you have quoted.

This one in Romans 8:30 is speaking about God's anointed ones who are to rule with Christ in his kingdom. Revelation gives a finite number for these ones as a group. (Rev 14:1, 3, 4) It is the group that is foreordained not the individuals within the group. If it were individuals, then scriptures such as Heb 10:26, 27 would not make sense.

Hebrews 10:26-27...."For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." (ESV)



This verse more correctly says..."even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will..."

Again, this is addressing the group who were predestined before "the foundation of the world". This is not the foundation of the planet as in creation, but the "foundation" of the world of mankind descended from Adam. The original Hebrew word meant the laying down of seed (as in human conception) This was before any children were born to them, hence before the foundation of the human race.
The first prophesy in Gen 3:15 was a response to Adam's sin and foretold the coming of a seed who was Jesus Christ.
The whole kingdom arrangement that went with him was hidden in that sacred mystery for thousands of years until Jesus came and he chose those who would make up the foundations of that kingdom. This is what was predestined.....not the individuals.
Thanks for adding your interpretation. There is certainly more than one way of looking at it.


This scripture pertains to Jeremiah himself, chosen by God to be his prophet before his birth. It is not speaking about people generally. Some individuals like Jeremiah, Sampson and John the Baptist were chosen for special assignments in the outworking of God's purpose before they were born or even conceived.



I don't believe that our lives are planned at all, otherwise free will is a myth. It is we who determine our own destiny by the choices we make. Just as Adam chose to disobey with dire consequences, we have have to realize that as free agents, they could have made other choices....so could the devil.

What would have happened if Eve had told the serpent to go away? What if Adam had refused to join his wife in rebellion....what if the devil had not tempted the woman in the garden? All would have meant a different outcome.

Nothing was planned......choices were put before them and those choices determined the outcome. God was prepared for all contingencies. Whatever arises, he deals with it according to his purpose.

 

[Baladas]

Thanks! I guess it is the context in which I hear Christians claim that god has a plan that reminds me more of being programmed rather than chosen. Thanks for your thoughts.

You are very welcome.

 

[atpollard]

I often hear Christians say that they believe that God has a plan for our lives. I find this puzzling. Does it mean that each individual human has a plan developed by God for the events of life or does it mean that God guides the general trend of humanity?
Where in scripture or scriptural interpretation does this idea originate?
Any thoughts appreciated!

Since there is a general desire to take quotes in context (which is good):

Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NIV)

10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”​

[emphasis is mine]

Jeremiah 11 clearly states that God had "plans" for at least one people group.
So do God's plans only apply to 'a people' or does God have plans on an individual level?

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.​

[emphasis is mine]

God prepared good works, in advance, for us to do ... that sounds to me like God has a plan.

On a personal level, I once had a plan for my life ... it involved doing evil, an early death and returning to nothingness.
God came along and changed everything ... I received almost nothing that I asked for, everything that I needed, and more success (home, wife, daughter, friends) in life than I could ever have imagined possible under MY plan.
So Yes, God has a plan.
I can hardily recommend embracing God's plan to anyone who might ask ... God is, indeed, Very Good!

 

[wintersolstice]

Since there is a general desire to take quotes in context (which is good):

Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NIV)

10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”​

[emphasis is mine]

Jeremiah 11 clearly states that God had "plans" for at least one people group.
So do God's plans only apply to 'a people' or does God have plans on an individual level?

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.​

[emphasis is mine]

God prepared good works, in advance, for us to do ... that sounds to me like God has a plan.

On a personal level, I once had a plan for my life ... it involved doing evil, an early death and returning to nothingness.
God came along and changed everything ... I received almost nothing that I asked for, everything that I needed, and more success (home, wife, daughter, friends) in life than I could ever have imagined possible under MY plan.
So Yes, God has a plan.
I can hardily recommend embracing God's plan to anyone who might ask ... God is, indeed, Very Good!

Thanks for taking the time to post such a comprehensive response.