Many of God's plans are laid out in great detail in the Bible. He has goals for countries, ethnic groupings, and individuals. What God wants us to know about His plans is summarised in Isaiah 46:10–11. "My goal will remain the same, and I will do anything I want." I summon a hawk from the east, and a guy from a faraway nation to help me achieve my goal. What I've spoken, I'll put into action; what I've planned, I'll carry out." Recognizing that God has an overarching plan for the universe is one thing; acknowledging that God has a specific life plan for each individual is quite another.
Many passages in the Bible imply that God has a unique purpose for each individual. It begins even before we are born. "Before I created you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I assigned you as a prophet to the nations," the Lord told Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5). God's purpose was not a reaction to Jeremiah's conception; it was proactive. It was preemptive, meaning that God created this male child just to carry out His plan. "You created my inmost being; you wove me together in my mother's womb," David says emphatically (Psalm 139:13). Unborn children are not a result of chance. Their Creator is sculpting them for His purposes. That is one of the reasons why abortion is unethical. We have no authority to disobey God's purpose or to desecrate God's workmanship by murdering a child He is developing.
Every human being is to come to know God and accept His offer of redemption, according to God's plan (2 Peter 3:9). He made us for friendship with Him, and when we reject His offer of forgiveness, we live in opposition to His intention for us. God devised excellent deeds for everyone of us based on our abilities, strengths, and opportunities in addition to salvation (Ephesians 2:10). He planned where we would be born and when we would be born (Acts 27:6; Psalm 139:16). He knows us better than we know ourselves since He knows the quantity of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). He understands what He gave us in terms of gifts, talents, strengths, and limitations, and how we might best use them to have an eternal influence. He provides opportunities for us to save treasure in heaven so that we can enjoy His reward for all eternity (Mark 9:41; Matthew 10:41–42).
"He has informed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD demand of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 summarises God's plan for each person. His strategy prioritises relationships over responsibilities. Our acts show that we are walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25), experiencing a love relationship with the Lord. It is our joy to please Him. As we grow in faith, knowledge, and obedience with what we know, His plan unfolds naturally. We learn His specially crafted plan for us as we obey His general plan for His children.
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