CWK
I don't think any one thing is meant to be; I think every thing is meant to be. I can't pick out this or that moment as "meant-to-be" anymore than I can pick out a brush stroke from a painting of Da Vinci and characterize it as "meant-to-be."
Everything is meant to be: nothing happens by accident, without cause, or without purpose. There is no such thing as a purely random event, or happening. Everything is meant to be: God created all things purposefully, with a purpose in mind; everything has a goal, an end. All things fit together: the universe is not a riddle of disconnected puzzle pieces from a million different puzzles. The universe, and all within, including all human history, are part of one master puzzle: The Glory of God. There is intention, control, a plan, an end, and means to an end: and over all these God reigns.
I believe in the total sovereignty of God over all events in all of history. Nothing escapes his notice, or His permission, or His Sovereign sway. This is the most comforting truth imaginable because it is true. Even evil men, in their most dastardly schemes, are caught up in God's scheme. They cannot break out of His sovereign power; they can only advance, even against their will, His Will. O, why, O why, do the nations rage, and evil men fume and foment? Why, O, Why? The Lord is seated on His throne in the Heavens, and He laughs (Ps. 2). Such men are caught in the net of God's control and power, and they can't get out. God has the first, and the middle, and the last word. Also, and this is sweet comfort for the Christian, I am in the all-powerful hands of my Father in Heaven, and so is my life. I can't mess up God's plan; even should I try (and I wouldn't): the counsel of the Lord will stand, and all His will will be done (Proverbs 19.21)."
A friend recently said to me, "It must be nice to believe that. It must be comforting."
"No," I responded, "It would only be comforting if it were TRUE. And, it is true."
There is order and design to everything. When I consider the evolutionary perspective on life, the supposition that everything happens by chance, that there is no original order or Order-er -- I wonder how such a person knows which side of the road to drive on, or which was is right, or left, or up, or down. The world dissolves into nonsense. No one can, in truth, live with that view of life. The evolutionist ultimately must break out of there "all is random" viewpoint, and take a right turn. Eventually, they are going to have to put their pants on, or cross a street, or buy a pack of bubble gum, and it matters immensely whether the world has order in such moments: they will, in such moments, even against their strongest protests, acknowledge that the world is a "put-together" reality, and that their is such a thing as sense and nonsense. Otherwise, they won't have a problem wearing their pants backwards, or crossing a busy intersection, or paying 35.00 for a pack of gum.
As for me, there's no contradiction between the order without, and the order within. I take it as common sense that life makes sense, but in this sense: God has a purpose, a goal, and a plan to reach that goal. I don't know how every particular fits with every particular, but I know that every particular fits with One and only One Universal: "For My Own Sake, For My Own Sake, I do it... I will not share My Glory with another (says the Lord), Isaiah 48.11." God is arranging events, like the pieces of a puzzle, for the purpose of self-manifestation, that He might be glorified in all the excellence of His character.
God is seated on this throne; the Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice.
"If God does something in your life, would you change it? If you'd change it, you'd make it worse. It wouldn't be as good."
-James Montgomery Boice
I don't think any one thing is meant to be; I think every thing is meant to be. I can't pick out this or that moment as "meant-to-be" anymore than I can pick out a brush stroke from a painting of Da Vinci and characterize it as "meant-to-be."
Everything is meant to be: nothing happens by accident, without cause, or without purpose. There is no such thing as a purely random event, or happening. Everything is meant to be: God created all things purposefully, with a purpose in mind; everything has a goal, an end. All things fit together: the universe is not a riddle of disconnected puzzle pieces from a million different puzzles. The universe, and all within, including all human history, are part of one master puzzle: The Glory of God. There is intention, control, a plan, an end, and means to an end: and over all these God reigns.
I believe in the total sovereignty of God over all events in all of history. Nothing escapes his notice, or His permission, or His Sovereign sway. This is the most comforting truth imaginable because it is true. Even evil men, in their most dastardly schemes, are caught up in God's scheme. They cannot break out of His sovereign power; they can only advance, even against their will, His Will. O, why, O why, do the nations rage, and evil men fume and foment? Why, O, Why? The Lord is seated on His throne in the Heavens, and He laughs (Ps. 2). Such men are caught in the net of God's control and power, and they can't get out. God has the first, and the middle, and the last word. Also, and this is sweet comfort for the Christian, I am in the all-powerful hands of my Father in Heaven, and so is my life. I can't mess up God's plan; even should I try (and I wouldn't): the counsel of the Lord will stand, and all His will will be done (Proverbs 19.21)."
A friend recently said to me, "It must be nice to believe that. It must be comforting."
"No," I responded, "It would only be comforting if it were TRUE. And, it is true."
There is order and design to everything. When I consider the evolutionary perspective on life, the supposition that everything happens by chance, that there is no original order or Order-er -- I wonder how such a person knows which side of the road to drive on, or which was is right, or left, or up, or down. The world dissolves into nonsense. No one can, in truth, live with that view of life. The evolutionist ultimately must break out of there "all is random" viewpoint, and take a right turn. Eventually, they are going to have to put their pants on, or cross a street, or buy a pack of bubble gum, and it matters immensely whether the world has order in such moments: they will, in such moments, even against their strongest protests, acknowledge that the world is a "put-together" reality, and that their is such a thing as sense and nonsense. Otherwise, they won't have a problem wearing their pants backwards, or crossing a busy intersection, or paying 35.00 for a pack of gum.
As for me, there's no contradiction between the order without, and the order within. I take it as common sense that life makes sense, but in this sense: God has a purpose, a goal, and a plan to reach that goal. I don't know how every particular fits with every particular, but I know that every particular fits with One and only One Universal: "For My Own Sake, For My Own Sake, I do it... I will not share My Glory with another (says the Lord), Isaiah 48.11." God is arranging events, like the pieces of a puzzle, for the purpose of self-manifestation, that He might be glorified in all the excellence of His character.
God is seated on this throne; the Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice.
"If God does something in your life, would you change it? If you'd change it, you'd make it worse. It wouldn't be as good."
-James Montgomery Boice
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