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Does God have a plan ?
Kat:
Hi Darren,
Sometimes when we see things around us seemingly so out of control we do wonder if God is there or do things just happen at random, just time and chance. I am assured that things are not random, God is sovereign and therefore totally in control.
Isa 46:10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from the past things which were not done, saying, My purpose shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure;
Your life and all lives are carefully orchestrated, how else can He know "the end from the beginning"? And in our lives He is creating and incredible diverse family, bought about by the circumstances we experience. We think we are in control or trying to work out at least some things in our lives, but are we really.
Jer 10:23 I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Pro 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
God does have a plan and we need to pray for faith to trust that He does indeed have our best interest in mind in the way that things are working out, for a few now to salvation and the rest as well just a bit in the future.
Eph 1:11 in whom also we have been chosen to an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose G4286 of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His own will,
purpose
G4286 prothesis - a setting forth, that is, (figuratively) proposal (intention); specifically the show bread (in the Temple) as exposed before God: - purpose, shew [-bread].
mercy, peace and love
Kat
dave:
The Lord God has a plan with purpose, and attempting to understand that plan and purpose with my mind and intelligence is empty, without a path, I embrace and hold to faith(His faith) when it comes to what little my mind and intelligence may claim to have. He is Good, that's all I KNOW.
cjwood:
darren, in case you are still reading posts on your thread, i wanted to point to one of the Scripture references johnchris gave. it has always been one of my favorites.
jeremiah 29:11
"for I know the plans which I am planning for you Declareth Yahweh, plans of welfare and not of calamity, to give you a future and a hope." (rotherhams)
that is a direct statement from Jesus Christ, the God of the OT, declaring to us that He most definitely has a plan.
claudia
acomplishedartis:
Hi Darren:
Here is a very detailed answer to your question: http://bible-truths.com/lake15-D.html
A weak ago I spend a lot of meditation time on that paper. Here is your answer:
"To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Ecc. 3:1).
Then it says, time for this, time for that... and the point is, EVERYTHIG has a purpose here on earth.And if God is evil, then it will be an ugly purpose, But if God is good...
Just think about the word ''pre-destination'', which is there on the Scriptures.
In my personal life experience God have been easy with me by letting me go through many things (good and bad) with very little possibilities to happen, which have made it easier for me to be able to understand a little bit this truth.
So I would put it on this way: EVERYTHIG that happens on our daily life;has the huge weight of history behind it. Therefore EVERYTHIG that happens can only go ONE WAY. God already knows (because he has already designed it) our whole life, He is like the best social enginer ever. Maybe we should not say, ''if God wills'' but ''if God already willed it''...
Moises
loretta:
As I was praying today for Darren and some others who are going through great personal loss I was lead to reflect on the Lazarus narrative in John 11. I had often wondered why Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Why would he weep if he knew that moments later Lazarus would walk out of the tomb. Yes, he shared the grief of the bereaved family, but weep, surely not. I wouldn't. But I am not God, the author of that grief! I believe that Jesus knew that He had caused Lazarus' death, that he had caused all death since the beginning of this world. He knew that there would always be death and destruction, despair, hunger, sadness, sorrow, loss and pain. Everything that we would rather wish away, Jesus sovereignly ordained for our good. Good, yes, in His wisdom and understanding. Something that we will not comprehend in our wisdom and limited understanding, but good nonetheless. And so Jesus hurts, just as a parent does, seeing his child cry in pain at the stab of a vaccine needle or having to go through a difficult situation for his own good. Jesus wept. I believe that He still weeps. I still don't understand why chidren suffer from cancer, are brutally raped and murdered. I don't understand many things, but it is comforting that God knows understands. That He is sovereign. In control. That He has a plan. Only One such as Him can promise,
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev 21:4
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