Divine Control in Human Choices
Proverbs 16:1
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.
This is an amazing verse! Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you made a bad decision, and yet when you look back at the situation, you realize that the Lord turned it around for good? If you’re like me, it’s times like these when you ask yourself, “How does God do that?” As a matter of fact, it would seem as if He planned it that way to begin with! Our text seems to indicate that, doesn’t it? This boggles the mind of even the greatest theologian, for one can only wonder where the balance is between the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. I think we’d be best to simply admit that we do not completely understand this blending of equally present truths.
One thing we must agree to regardless of our limited understanding is the fact that God is in control, even and especially when we’re out of control! We tell our children that they can do anything if they set their minds to it. If we allow this much power to mere humans, then why is it so difficult for us to grasp that God our Creator can do the same? Don’t you think that if God sets His mind to something, then He will accomplish His purpose thoroughly? Do you really think that your bad decisions will ruin God’s master plan for your life?
Don’t get me wrong here; I believe that God has a plan for everyone, but at the same time, I think we need to be careful not to discredit His ability to salvage even the worst of mistakes. Indeed, godlier choices yield more of a Christ-honoring life, and we should settle for no less than God’s best for our lives, yet at the same time the unfaithfulness of man cannot ultimately destroy God’s master plan! My purpose here is not to indicate that you can make any decision you want with an attitude that God will bail you out; to the contrary, we ought to strive our best to please the Lord! This should be a no-brainer for any serious Christian. I only wish to point out the truth that there is great comfort in knowing that our Lord is able to finish what He has started in our lives, even if that means He will even use our blunders to complement His purposes in our lives! In its truest context, our verse today is actually neutral in terms of good choice/bad choice, as it doesn’t specifically say. This tells me that regardless, God is always in control!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.
This is an amazing verse! Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you made a bad decision, and yet when you look back at the situation, you realize that the Lord turned it around for good? If you’re like me, it’s times like these when you ask yourself, “How does God do that?” As a matter of fact, it would seem as if He planned it that way to begin with! Our text seems to indicate that, doesn’t it? This boggles the mind of even the greatest theologian, for one can only wonder where the balance is between the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. I think we’d be best to simply admit that we do not completely understand this blending of equally present truths.
One thing we must agree to regardless of our limited understanding is the fact that God is in control, even and especially when we’re out of control! We tell our children that they can do anything if they set their minds to it. If we allow this much power to mere humans, then why is it so difficult for us to grasp that God our Creator can do the same? Don’t you think that if God sets His mind to something, then He will accomplish His purpose thoroughly? Do you really think that your bad decisions will ruin God’s master plan for your life?
Don’t get me wrong here; I believe that God has a plan for everyone, but at the same time, I think we need to be careful not to discredit His ability to salvage even the worst of mistakes. Indeed, godlier choices yield more of a Christ-honoring life, and we should settle for no less than God’s best for our lives, yet at the same time the unfaithfulness of man cannot ultimately destroy God’s master plan! My purpose here is not to indicate that you can make any decision you want with an attitude that God will bail you out; to the contrary, we ought to strive our best to please the Lord! This should be a no-brainer for any serious Christian. I only wish to point out the truth that there is great comfort in knowing that our Lord is able to finish what He has started in our lives, even if that means He will even use our blunders to complement His purposes in our lives! In its truest context, our verse today is actually neutral in terms of good choice/bad choice, as it doesn’t specifically say. This tells me that regardless, God is always in control!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill