Skip to main content

Foreknown


Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. (Psalm 139:4) 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5) 

            That God knows what is going to happen before it does causes some people great difficulty. Others, it provides with an escape. What happens is not their fault, God made them do it. One of the divides among Protestants is between the Armenians, who believe that God knows but doesn't (always) determine, and the Reformed, who believe that God's foreknowledge is due to His choices. At least, that's my simplified understanding of it.
            I recently wrote about God's existence outside of time (Eternal Now). Given that He can enter time at any point, He can effectively work backward, forward and even possibly sidewise in time. His knowledge then is incomprehensible only in its extent. I'm amazed that God can remember it all. Of course, if He couldn't, He could refresh His memory, and we would never know. That means that whether we understand or not, He knows it all.
            Science tells us that everything that happens to us is actually stored in our memories. Why would we expect that God is less able to remember than we? Our problem isn't with remembering, it's with recalling. Before we stop bending our minds with the concept, consider that God not only knows beforehand what will happen, but He also knows what could have happened.  He chooses what is best for us, even if it's not what we want. 
           All of this is interesting fodder for meditation, but the thing that we need to hold on to is the last, that God knows not only what will happen, but what could happen, and what does happen is for our best. Some people complain about this, because (they say) they don't understand how __________ could be in someone's best interest. Would it be better if they lived forever and got everything they wanted? Wouldn't God making someone (everyone) happy be better? Would it be best for a baby to be carried everywhere? Fed anything and everything it wants? Given anything and everything it wants? Permitted to do anything and everything it wants?  
            I am glad that God knows what is coming up in my life, the good and the bad. I am joyful that He has it all planned out, and He's told me that He won't let me miss the turns.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more