While I was driving into work yesterday, I was making my plans about what I needed to get done when I got into the office. Being able to freely make plans is one of the many abilities that we humans have that God has blessed us with. We are not merely robots or computers which can only do what they were programmed to do. We are freewill beings who can not only react and make choices in the moment, but we can also make plans for the future. Yet, God is still in control. It is why we have verses in the Bible such as:

Proverbs 19:21 (HCSB) – Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the LORD’S decree will prevail.

About halfway into work, God prevailed over my plans…

BOOM!!

Out of nowhere, a deer jumped out in front of my car. 

Steps

I was ok. I pulled over and put my flashers on. My plans were now thwarted. I wasn’t going into work. My steps now involved walking around my car to check the damage, waiting for the police to arrive, contacting my insurance company, getting my car fixed, getting a rental, etc. all instead of getting done what I had planned on getting done in the office that day. If there ever was a verse which described the situation, this was it…

Proverbs 16:9 (HCSB) – A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.

Fortunately, no other drivers were involved and the damage to my car wasn’t too bad. Unfortunately however, the deer lost its life. 

A Paradox?

These two simultaneous realities: our freewill and God’s sovereignty are not paradoxical; they are not mutually exclusive. It is true that we are the sole authors of our plans, not God. Yet, He can either thwart them or use them for His purpose. I can say this with confidence because we have examples from the Bible which talk about this. Take the novel ideas that came from the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and not God, during a sad time in their history…

Jeremiah 7:30-31 (HCSB) – “For the Judeans have done what is evil in My sight.” This is the LORD’S declaration. “They have set up their detestable things in the house that is called by My name and defiled it. They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, a thing I did not command; I never entertained the thought.”

Jeremiah 19:5 (HCSB) – “They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, something I have never commanded or mentioned; I never entertained the thought.”

God’s people came up with their own plans, which God Himself “never entertained.” God though, shockingly decided to not stop Israel but to instead have their plans actually come to fruition. It seems crazy to allow people, especially His own chosen people, to do such despicable things. We grapple with this whenever we ask or think…

“Why does God allow evil?” 

But, as one prophet reminds us…

Isaiah 55:8-9 (HCSB) – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the LORD’S declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

On a side note: The Hebrew word for “plans” in Proverbs 19:21 and “thoughts” in Isaiah 55:8-9 is the same… מַחֲשָׁבָה (Strong’s # h4284)

God’s Plan

Many centuries later Paul would clarify why God had allowed Israel’s to plan to reject Him during their history to actually happen. It was to benefit the whole world…

Romans 11:11-15 (HCSB) – I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring! Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. In view of the fact that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if I can somehow make my own people jealous and save some of them. For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

Just to back up Paul’s point that God did not intend to have His people stumble “in order to fall,” even at the time of Isaiah, here is what that same prophet wrote in the verses just before what I had quoted earlier which spoke about how God’s thoughts and ways are different from ours…

Isaiah 55:6-7 (HCSB) – Seek the LORD while He may be found; call to Him while He is near. Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive.

God’s plan all along has been about making Himself approachable for both Jews AND Gentiles, regardless of what we might plan as a group or as individuals. Israel freely planned on rejecting God. God planned on using it to benefit all of humanity. I had freely planned on getting to work. I guess God had planned on using it for me to write this blog?

I’ll leave you with this encouraging quote from Paul when he had addressed the crowd at the Areopagus in Athens, a long time ago, with the hope of getting them to grasp how wonderful He is…

Acts 17:26-27 (HCSB) – From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

Godspeed, to the brethren!

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