Does God Plan Our Lives? (cont.)
Deuteronomy 29:29 communicates the two categories of God’s will, His secret will and His revealed will. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”
What has been revealed is a gift. We know God through His Word, and we know what He desires of us in obedience. Yet for the secret parts of His will, we must trust that God has a plan…though He doesn’t always share the whole thing with us. Our lack of understanding doesn’t make His plan any less real.
God consults no one. He has revealed some things in His Word, and often that becomes clear in our circumstances through the Holy Spirit’s presence. But parts of God’s plan for us we may never know.
We Must Accept God’s Sovereignty By Faith
Next let’s look at the importance of faith. Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38 tell us to “live by faith.” That means we trust God even when we can’t seem Him or understand His ways. For God to have sovereignty means He has absolute right to do all things because He alone has all power and knowledge. “Sovereignty is God’s control over His creation… Sovereignty is God’s rule over all reality.”[ii]
A sovereign God could be a dictator (God is not). Or a sovereign could abdicate the use of his powers (God has not). Ultimately God is in control of all things. Yet at times He may choose to let certain events happen according to natural laws He has ordained, including consequence for sin and fallen nature.[iii] If any element of the universe is outside His authority, then He’s no longer God over all.[iv]
Although God has power over all things and knowledge of all things, He still gives us freedom within His sovereignty.
Freedom in God’s Plan
Some Christians sees God as a composer of a well-practiced orchestra; the instrumentalists are completely under the sway of the magic wand. These people are ultimately trying to affirm God’s ultimate sovereignty. Others see God as closer to an absentee Father. He allows His children to play in the mud and have temper tantrums and does not reign them in, even when they hurt each other.
However, like all things in Christianity, the answer tends to lie as both and neither. “We are neither the authors nor the pawns of our life stories but rather given freedom within God’s will to make decisions, yet all our circumstance are under God’s providence and power.[v]
God’s sovereignty is like when you put your kids in a fenced backyard. They have free will, but it’s within the confines of the parent’s permissive will. God gives us free will within the confines of what He desires to happen.
God Has the Big Picture in Mind
My son asks what the day’s plan is. So over breakfast, we review the schedule and expectations. Because he knows what will happen, he feels more secure. Plus, he has the freedom to ask for what he wants to happen in the gaps of what I’ve decided must happen.
This is a good understanding of God’s plan. It leaves room for our choices, and if we know what He expects to happen, or at least that He has a plan, it’s less distressing when things don’t go according to our plan. We have freedom to move, knowing that God’s plan might supersede ours. That’s because His plan is based less in whims and more in knowing the big picture.
God’s sovereignty can be hard to accept. But ultimately it’s the only solid ground to stand on in this broken world. His sovereign power to redeem the suffering we experience in this sin-sick world is our only true hope and comfort. Without confidence in God’s sovereign oversight of the universe, life becomes meaningless, hope for justice fades, and everything seems random.
If God is not sovereign, then we’re in trouble. His sovereignty is a rock underfoot when the winds blow in our lives. It confronts what seems absurd in our existence. God’s sovereignty is our greatest hope as we face an uncertain and the unknown future.[vi]
God’s Plan Shows Our Value
Matthew 10:29-31 says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
Value is determined by what someone is willing to pay for something. God was willing to give His Son for your soul. He values you. He knows details of your life. And He loves you! Remember that when you wonder does God plan our lives. Then trust Him.
