Dr. Dan Hayden •
Smart people don’t leave on a journey without first knowing where they’re going. God is smart–He knows exactly where He’s going, and He knows exactly how to get you where you need to be. That is, if you’re going with Him. This is what it means when the Bible says that God predestines us.
When it comes to understanding the Bible, some people are intimidated by the idea of predestination–the thought that God predestines things. Actually, it’s a rather comforting thought. It simply means that God knows where He is taking us. In Romans 8:28-29 it says, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” You see, that’s God’s purpose–to make you like His Son–to make you like Jesus. And so that’s the destination He has determined ahead of time for all of His children.
Stephen Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, says that one habit of successful people is that they begin with the end in mind. They have a goal, and so everything they do is aimed at helping them reach that goal. That’s what God does. He has a goal in mind so He works all things together for that good purpose. That’s what it means when it says that God predestines us.
The word predestined is the Greek word prohoresto–which has the idea of specifying ahead of time what the limits are. To determine beforehand what the destination is.
Now that’s not a bad idea. Quite the contrary–it’s a good idea! God is taking you down the road of life with all of its turns and bends–with all of its ups and downs–to the destination of becoming like Jesus. He has predestined us.
Hey, aren’t you glad that God knows where we are going?!
For further study, see The Prayer Puzzle.