toldailytopic: To what detail do you believe God plans out your life?

Nathon Detroit

Nathon Detroit

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The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for August 30th, 2011 09:24 AM


toldailytopic: To what detail do you believe God plans out your life?






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B

bybee

New member
Knight said:
The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for August 30th, 2011 09:24 AM


toldailytopic: To what detail do you believe God plans out your life?






Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.
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I believe God has a plan for me and for you too.
When I wander, I get called back.
 
TomO

TomO

Get used to it.
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I hope not too much....I'd hate to think someone "planned" this mess. :plain:
 
The Berean

The Berean

Well-known member
Among Christians there is great debate on this topic. The views range across a large spectrum. Some peopel believe that God only "guides" people. other believe that God can and direct people to go in certain directions. We have Biblical examples of this. God did tell Moses to return to Egypt.

I've met Christians who believe God specifically guided them to their spouses. I just met a guy on Sunday who met a woman in Canada (She was visiting from Korea) and he said God told him this woman will be his wife. He said at first he was hesitant but he said he was sure he had heard from God. So he told this woman what God had told him. And she believed him. They got married shortly afterward. They are expecting their first child in three weeks.

I have another friend who met her husband at a prayer conference. She was in a prayer group when God "told" her to pray for a specific man because he is going to be her husband. She thought that was crazy at first but she trusted God and prayed for this man. They've been happily married over 10 years now and have two sons. They are involved in quite a bit of ministry together.
 
frostmanj

frostmanj

Subscriber
I believe God has a plan and purpose for everybody, but each individual has been given the freedom by God to choose to follow or not follow that plan. God can and does use all for His own purposes whether or not we follow His plan. He can take the actions of the most petulant and disobediant and use it as a blessing or teaching point for another. That does not mean that He does not welcome any person who seeks Him back. He stands there as the Good Father welcomes back his prodigal son. He stands ready to bring anyone back onto the path he was originally meant to tread, and if that path no longer is available to place a new path in front of him. Yes, God has a plan. It is up to us to follow it.
 
MrDeets

MrDeets

TOL Subscriber
I'm in the process of studying to find out. I do tend to believe we have free will, but I cannot imagine an infinite God who doesn't have exhaustive foreknowledge...:dizzy: so, I guess my answer would be I'm not sure. :dunce:
 
Nang

Nang

TOL Subscriber
Such questions are easier understood, when one comes to realize that God works through His people to accomplish His good purposes and plans.

Such as the holy men who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit of God and produced the prophecies (Scripture) and revelation of God. (II Peter 1:21) These were personalities, not robots, who were inspired to write from the mind of God, in no opposition to their own intellects or practices.

So too, Christians live their daily lives inspired by the Holy Spirit, according to the mind of God, in no opposition to their intellect or practices. Man was created to work in harmony with God according to His will and purposes, and, through faith in Christ, this is again possible for regenerated sinners.

However, those outside of Christ and bereft of His Holy Spirit, live in the darkness of their making; every one of their acts displeasing to God and awaiting His judgment. (Romans 3:10-19)

The proper question should be, is my every action glorifying to the Holy One who abides within me? It should not really matter much to believers if they are freely acting on their own, but it should matter to believers much more whether they are acting and living their daily lives in accordance to the will and good pleasure of God.

"Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy for I am holy.'" I Peter 1:13-16

Nang
 
P

Ps82

Active member
I certainly appreciated frostmanj's and Nang's opinion on this matter. I guess that is how I see things as well.

However, I will add ... that even though God's plan, his permissive will, and our free will all work together to glorify our creator ... I also believe that God somehow knows my future. He knows my choices before I make them ... my experiences before I have them. How this works I don't know, but he gave me a series of 4 dreams, which all came true in my future in the exact order that I dreamed them. This settled the issue for me whether God knows everything from the beginning to the end ... even in my personal life.

Now, I cannot deny that God is real, alive, and knows what is going on in my life ... in my past, at the present, and for my future.
 
P

Ps82

Active member
I have come to the conclusion that God's ability to know the past, present, and future about individuals does not mean that he is necessarily causing things to come to pass.

For example: I had an idea suddenly pop into my heard about my being in a car accident. I accepted that this may be a warning from God, and that I was suppose to do something about it. So I took a safer route home. I drove defensively and payed close attention to things around me. I had made it safely home and was almost to my driveway when a car behind me rear ended and totaled my car.

I questioned why God would warn me, but then allow it to happen anyway ... and the only answer that came to me was that I was listening to his warning, but the other person was not. In fact, that driver was talking on his cell phone.

Somehow our freewill comes into play ... and two people were involved in that wreck that day.

Thank goodness I was not hurt other than some back strain with a little physical therapy... and there was an eyewitness who stayed to report to the police.

Yet, I do believe that God does use people to glorify him... some more dramatically than others. I think this may have to do with our level of faith and our God-given talents. After-all, God knew the individuals he would call to be his prophets even while they were forming in the womb. King David even said that God knew him before he was born, and I think I remember his saying that God set his days before him ... or ... maybe that was some other chosen person that said that.
 
S

sky.

BANNED
Banned
It's probably easier to discover than we make it. I'm reading a very good book.
Decision Making And The Will Of God, second edition by Garry Friesen.
 
Lon

Lon

Well-known member
Knight said:

toldailytopic: To what detail do you believe God plans out your life?

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Jeremiah 10:23 O Jehovah, I know that the way of man does not belong to man; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Proverbs 20:24 Man's steps are of Jehovah; how can a man then understand his own way?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know what I have planned for you,'says the LORD. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.

Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Pro 3:5 Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of Jehovah as the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He will.

Psa 33:9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood.
Psa 33:10 Jehovah brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He breaks the plots of the people.
Psa 33:11 The counsel of Jehovah stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.
Psa 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah; the people He has chosen for His inheritance.
Psa 33:13 Jehovah looks down from Heaven; He beholds all the sons of mankind.
Psa 33:14 From His dwelling place He looks on all the people of the earth.
Psa 33:15 Together He forms their hearts; His understanding is to all their works.

Psa 37:18 Jehovah knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever.
Psa 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by Jehovah; and He delights in his way.
Psa 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast down; for Jehovah upholds his hand.

Job 14:5 For his days are fixed, the number of his months is with You, and You have set his bounds so that he cannot pass;

Isaiah 46:9 Remember former things from forever; for I am God, and no other is God, even none like Me,
Isaiah 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;
Isaiah 46:11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my purpose from a far country. Yes, I have spoken, I will also cause it to come; I have formed; yes, I will do it.

Rom 9:19 You will then say to me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will?
Rom 9:20 No, but, O man, who are you who replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him who formed it, Why have you made me this way?
Rom 9:21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor?

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
 
G

griffinsavard

New member
God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Ps. 139:1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 ​​You know my sitting down and my rising up;
​​You understand my thought afar off.
3 ​​You comprehend my path and my lying down,
​​And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 ​​For there is not a word on my tongue,
​​But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 ​​You have hedged me behind and before,
​​And laid Your hand upon me.
6 ​​Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
​​It is high, I cannot attain it.
 
P

Ps82

Active member
Lon,
Enjoyed reading the verses you shared... in a few of them I caught a glimmer of man's freewill... but I agree - that somehow God orders everything and is in control. I think there is something called God's permissive will ... which allows for mankind to choose his actions ... but through it all God maintains his plans.
 
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Todah

New member
I think he has every detail and possibility accounted for, when I am obeying him.
I think he has very little of those details and possibilities accounted for when I do the things, {whether good, bad or indifferent} that I choose to do, outside of His plan.

"The steps of a 'good' man are ordered of the Lord."
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

Well-known member
I believe God has a plan for my life. It is up to me to reach out to Him, learn what it is, and do it with God's help. The Bible is the outline of that plan for my life. Prayer helps me connect with God in order to stay on the right path according to the plan He has for me.
 
Lighthouse

Lighthouse

The Dark Knight
Gold Subscriber
Hall of Fame
I believe God has a plan for us, or more He has a will. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But He does not make any of us follow His will. His desire that we willingly choose to follow Him overrides His desire that we follow Him.

MrDeets said:
I'm in the process of studying to find out. I do tend to believe we have free will, but I cannot imagine an infinite God who doesn't have exhaustive foreknowledge...:dizzy: so, I guess my answer would be I'm not sure. :dunce:
Click to expand...
Can you answer how knowledge of that which does not exist; in any way, shape or form; can exist?
 
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