One thing that has stuck in my thoughts is that God, who created time itself and is thus outside time, has a different perspective from ourselves. We see moment by moment while God perceives the whole sweep of time as a whole.
Nothing in God's sight, including our actions, changes the future He perceives. But from our viewpoint, the future is determined as an interaction among all time's inhabitants including ourselves and God's will.
From our standpoint not meant to be may be understood that it does not (and never did) exist in God's timeless perception. But from our standpoint within time, we are always making our own choices and from our limited point of view creating that future that God perceives.
Well said.
Romans 12:2......
" Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. "
Because God is omniscient, He knows what He will accomplish in us. He knows what we will do, and what we would do, in any given circumstance. Thus, His plans for us will never fail; they will never be flawed by some missing piece of information, some unknown detail. God's plan and purpose for each and every believer is for our good, and for His glory.
But there is also something in the Scriptures called "The Permissive Will of God".
The Permissive Will of God is that will which God does not decree to occur, nor is it His will since it is not in accordance with His Law.
God's permissive will is His will to permit sin to occur. God allows man to rebel against Him in the choices we make and in this God permits people to do such things as lie, steal, etc.
Example, Jermiah 19:5.............
"and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal
, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind."
Luke 8:32.......
"Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons entreated Him to permit them to enter the swine. A
nd He gave them permission."
Romans 1:21-23.........
"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures."