“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isaiah 46:9, 10 ESV).
Since the last time I wrote about choices and decisions, I’ve continued to contemplate whether I was correct in saying there really could be multiple bad and good options at the same time. Is there any Biblical evidence for my reasoning? I thought back to Adam and Eve. They could eat from every tree of the garden, except one. So the ratio of good to bad options was definitely skewed in their favor! However, we know things went south when they chose the one bad option. And yet what did God do? He told them the plan of salvation: “He (Jesus) shall bruise your (Satan’s) head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15 ESV).
Shortly before I left my job at Trinity Church, the administrator said we needed to work on a disaster preparedness plan. According to the Homeland Security government website preparedness is defined as “a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action in an effort to ensure effective coordination during incident response.” The purpose of such plans is to anticipate what could potentially happen and therefore, theoretically, already know the best course of action ensuring the most desirable outcome possible. The problem with our plans is that, as the definition says, they must be a “continuous cycle” in order for us to take into account the latest information. Our God already knows the beginning from the end. While He does not control our decisions, He knows all the options we have and the decisions we will make. If you think about it, we know enough about our closest family members, friends, and pets to do the same thing. Ryan and I will sometimes say to each other, “I knew you’d do that!”
Unlike us, our God has had in place, since before time began, the only disaster preparedness plan that can truly save us. Our choices can help or hinder God’s plan, however in the end God “will accomplish all [His] purpose.” God provided us with a copy of His disaster preparedness plan through scripture so we know how His plan has and will continue to unfold. Throughout history hard times have come and gone, yet we know that the end is still to come with even more trouble. God has not shared His plan with us so that we live neck deep in anxiety and worry. Rather He shares His plan for salvation and end times so that we will be encouraged and can remember that He is in control. We have assurance that God will keep His promises because everything He says is true (John 17:17). There is no better plan to rely on!