What is your destiny?

If there is such a thing as destiny, have you ever wondered whether your destiny can be changed?

The Bible says that God knows our destiny. In Paul's letter to the church in Rome, we learn that we were "chosen" even before we were born to become followers of Christ:

"29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory." (Rom 8:29-30).

Webster's dictionary defines the word "omniscient" this way:

Main Entry: om.ni.scient
Pronunciation: -sh&nt
Function: adjective
Etymology: New Latin omniscient-, omnisciens, back-formation from Medieval Latin omniscientia
Date: 1604
1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight
2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge
- om.ni.scient.ly adverb

If God has infinite awareness, and understanding, then that means that he has the ability to "foreknow" what is to come. He has the ability to see the entire calendar of events at a glance. We can only imagine that there must be a far different sense of time and space when one sees everything from an eternal perspective.

But it is not God's omniscience that controls our destiny. We are not mere robots or puppets on a string, with no control over our own actions. If that were true, there would be no evil in the world, and there would be no need for evangelism.

When we think this through, we can conclude that we have been blessed with free will, just as the Bible teaches. Freedom of choice is the very thing which makes us "created in His own image". It is one of the primary characteristics that separates us from all other earthly creatures.

When God chooses to look out over the events of what is to come, he has the ability to "foreknow"... who we are... when we were born... when we will be called into the next life... who belongs to him... and who doesn't. Since God is eternal, he had this knowledge before we were even born, and in that sense we were predestined to follow him (or not).

It's a difficult concept, but the truth is... we make the choices... and God knows what they are, and what they will be. If God had created us without the ability to choose, then I suppose everyone would end up in heaven, but it certainly wouldn't be because we chose to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

I like knowing that when we finally get to heaven, we will be surrounded by all of God's children... by all those that have humbled themselves before the Lord... by those that love him and are called according to his purpose.

Praise be to God, for his grace, his mercy, and his favor!