Does God Have a Plan?
Do you believe God had a
plan in mind when He spoke creation into existence? You would be surprised how many people
believe that He does not have a plan.
In fact, based on the number of declared atheists in the world today, we
can conclude that the vast majority of mankind does NOT believe that God has
any kind of plan for creation, because they don’t believe that God exists. If they don't believe that God exists, they
can't believe He has a plan. But what is
even more surprising is that many God-fearing men and women also seem to
believe that God has no plan for His creation.
Or rather, that maybe He had a plan at one time, but mankind messed it
all up for Him.
Regardless of what you believe, we should not assume God has a plan unless we can find evidence of His plan in the scriptures. In other words, if the Father has a grand purpose for His creation, and a plan to achieve that purpose, then we should be able to find positive proof that He has a plan in the Bible.
Does God Plan Anything?
Genesis 6:14 KJV
(14) Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
God was very specific in His instructions about the materials Noah was to use in the construction of the ark. In addition, He was specific about the division of the interior into separate rooms, and the need to make it waterproof with pitch.
Genesis 6:15 KJV
(15) And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
Notice in verse 15 that God was also very specific about the dimensions in length, width, and height.
Genesis 6:16 KJV
(16) A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
Note even the location of the window and door, and the number of levels or stories were included in the instructions given to Noah. We can see from these scriptures that God described HIS plan for the ark to Noah.
So now we know that God DOES create plans, and He is able to describe them to us sufficiently to accomplish His goals, as proved by Noah’s success in his construction project.
There are other examples of God creating plans and describing them to His chosen people. Recall the plans that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. He instructed Moses on His plan to free the Hebrews from Egypt, and gave him explicit instructions about what to say to Pharaoh. Later, after the Israelites had been freed according to God’s plan, He gave Moses the stone tablets containing the ten commandments, and He also give him very specific instructions for the plan to construct the tabernacle, the altar of sacrifice, the golden candlestick, ark of the covenant, clothing for the high priest, and so on.
God was very explicit in His instructions to Moses, and emphasized that he build these things EXACTLY according to a pattern shown to him on the mountain.
Exodus 25:40 Amplified
(40) And see to it that you copy [exactly] their pattern which was shown you on the mountain.
And the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews quotes this verse in Hebrews 8.
Hebrews 8:5 Amplified
(5) ... For when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was warned by God, saying, See to it that you make it all [exactly] according to the copy (the model) which was shown to you on the mountain.
The wording used in both Exodus and Hebrews says that Moses was SHOWN something while he was on Mount Sinai with the Father. So God not only described the plan for the tabernacle when He spoke with Moses, but He also SHOWED Moses a copy or model of what He wanted him to build while he was up on the mountain. This may have been in the form of a vision, or God may have shown Moses the finished product by giving him a glimpse of the future. Yes, God DOES plan things, and He is very capable of showing and describing those plans to His chosen people.
When King David was turning his kingdom over to his son Solomon, he described the plan that God had given him for the temple in Jerusalem. David called all the people together, and told them he had wanted to build a temple in Jerusalem to house the ark of the covenant, but God had told him that he could not build the temple because he was a man of war and had blood on his hands.
As we read this story, please note the method that God used to convey His plan for the temple to David. Thus far we have examined two methods used by God. We can hear His plan when He speaks to us, or we can see His plan, when He shows us a model or a vision of the outcome of His plan.
1 Chronicles 28:2-3 KJV
(2) Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:
(3) But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
Later in verse 5, David explains to the people that God has chosen his son Solomon to take the throne and build the temple.
1 Chronicles 28:5-6 KJV
(5) And of all my sons, (for the LORD hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.
(6) And he said unto me, Solomon thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.
In verse 9, David turns to Solomon and gives him instructions about building the temple.
1 Chronicles 28:9-10 KJV
(9) And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
(10) Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.
(11) Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
(12) And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit...
Verses 12 through 18 describe all of the parts of the temple, including the furniture, the courses for the priesthood, and so on, in great detail, but verse 12 starts by saying all of these detailed patterns came to David by the Spirit. The plan was very specific, down to the weight of each piece, the materials to use, and where each piece was to be located in the new temple. But notice in verse 19 the way David describes how he obtained these plans and patterns from God.
1 Chronicles 28:19 KJV
(19) All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.
David said, the LORD put His hand upon him, and made him to understand IN WRITING, all the works of this pattern by the Spirit.
Delivering the Plan
We have looked at three
examples from scripture that illustrate the fact that God is able to deliver a
plan to His chosen people, using multiple methods of communication. He may deliver the plan by speaking only, as scripture
seems to indicate He did with Noah. He
may deliver the plan both by speaking and showing
a model of His plan, as He did with Moses.
He may deliver the plan by writing
by His Spirit's hand upon someone, as He did with David. Or, as in Solomon's case, He may deliver the
plan through reading what another person has written while under the influence
of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of the delivery
method that God chooses to reveal His plan to His chosen people, it is important
for us to understand that:
- God does create plans to accomplish His divine purpose.
- He is willing and able to make us understand His plans.
- God communicates His plans to His chosen people in many ways.
But Why?
When people ponder the creation story, and the gospel, and they get a glimpse of the enormity of the universe and all that has transpired over the last 6,000+ years of recorded history, they often start to ask themselves some questions:Does God have a plan for His creation?
Why does God even need a plan? After all, He is God!
If He has a plan, are things going according to His plan?
Is the universe so far off-course that God has just given up on it?
Does God need a "Plan B" in case His "Plan A" fails?
Was Jesus "Plan B" because Adam messed up Plan A so badly? In other words, are we already on Plan B?
Does God need a Plan C, in case the church messes things up worse than Adam did?
What about a Plan D, in case the devil pulls the wool over God's eyes? (Is that what Satan did in the garden? NO!)
WHY DID YOU CREATE ALL OF THIS, GOD?
Why did you create this universe? This cosmos? This orderly arrangement of everything?
Why did you create endless space, all of these billions of galaxies filled with billions of stars?
Why did you create our little blue and green planet?
Why did you create all of these plants and animals on the earth?
Why did you create me?
That's the real question, after all. If you get down to the real question plaguing mankind, it's not "does God exist..." Only a fool says "there is no God." (Psalms 14:1 and Psalms 53:1)
Atheists have no excuse, other than their own foolish stubbornness, as Paul explained in his letter to the church at Rome:
Romans 1:20 Amplified
(20) For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification].
So even though atheists pretend they don’t believe in God, the real question mankind asks is not, "Does God exist?" The real questions behind that thought are "Why did He make me? What is my purpose? Why do I exist?”
God's Purpose in Creation
Genesis 1:26-27 KJV
(26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over ...the earth.
(27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
It is important for us to understand that God desired to make mankind in His image, and after His likeness. He wanted to make us this way. He desired to make us this way. If He didn't desire to make us in His image, He would have made us differently. This is an important principle to understand. God does everything according to what pleases Him. He is never forced to do something that goes against His desire.
Isaiah 46:9-10 KJV
(9) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
(10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.
God does whatever pleases Him. When He says, "I will do..." in verse 10, He is declaring His WILL, and His Will is to Do ALL His pleasure. His Will is to Do all that pleases Him. And since He made mankind in His image, and after His likeness, it was therefore His pleasure to make us in His image. That pleased Him.
Do you FEEL like you are the image and likeness of God? We must understand that the process of making us into His image is still on-going from our perspective. It is a work in process! From God's perspective and vision, the work, the process, is complete, and He is resting, but from our point of view, we are still “half-baked” in the oven of creation.
In fact, we find that God is pleased with all the fullness of the Godhead existing in the Last Adam, not the first, as Paul declared in Colossians.
Colossians 1:19 KJV
(19) For it pleased the Father that in him (Christ) should all fullness dwell;
The Father's pleasure exists in the Son, and this brings us to our first look at the reason for creation. It's there in the pattern. The drive of every natural father is to procreate... to create off-spring that looks like the father.
God created everything, including every living animal, and inherent in every living animal is the drive to procreate... to create off-spring. In the animal kingdom, it is instinct that generates the drive. It is their NATURE to procreate. It is at the most basic and fundamental level of their existence; otherwise, they cease to exist.
With mankind, it is not instinct, but it is our NATURE to want to reproduce. It is the way God made us. It is intrinsic to our natural life to find a life mate and bring children into the world. This is a natural desire for men and women. He made us this way, and we are made in His image, and after His likeness.
He brought forth a Son... and He only does His pleasure! So it pleased Him to bring forth a Son, but in order to bring forth a Son, He first created mankind, vessels in which He could dwell in union with us, and it is this union between God and mankind that allows Him to procreate Himself.
It is this Son that He is preparing to reveal to the world. It is this revelation of Himself as the God who IS love that He is preparing for manifestation to His creation. This is the purpose of His creation, to reveal Himself in His children, in His Sons. But what is our part in the Plan? What is our part in the Purpose of God?
Our Part in the Plan of God
All along the way we have made choices and decisions that led us from event to event, from place to place, and from face to face. When looking back through our lives, if we have true spiritual discernment, we will see the HAND OF GOD in every decision we have made, whether it seems for good or bad, right or wrong.
Speaking for myself, I have made what seemed to me to be poor decisions in my past. I think back on some of those points in time, and I still shudder at the depth of what SEEMED to be gross error on my part.
But the truth is, if I had made any other choice, I would most likely NOT BE WRITING THIS TODAY. God’s hand was on me, even in those decisions that seemed to lead me toward destruction.
The perspective of hindsight, when viewed through the magnifying lens of the Spirit, should teach us to TRUST in the direction He is taking us today.
When I counsel God’s people, I often find them fearfully fretting and losing peace due to their perception of their current circumstances, when they should be resting in the knowledge that all things are working together for their good.
Not only do we have scripture that tells us all things are working for our good, but we can also see it using our spiritual hindsight.
Romans 8:28 Amplified
(28) We are assured and know that all things work together and are fitting into a plan for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.
When we are truly trusting in Him, we are resting in the peace and assurance that ALL THINGS are fitting into a plan for GOOD. We must believe that it is a good design and a good purpose for our lives and for all of creation. When we believe and understand that God has a GOOD plan, then we can start to see our part in His design.
Yes, He has a design and purpose for His creation. He has a plan and purpose for each of us, and He is faithful to His plan and purpose!
Looking Forward
First of all, we need to understand that recognizing WHO we are is more important than understanding WHY we are here. Recognizing that we are the body of Christ leads us to the understanding that WE ARE His purpose in creation, and understanding that we are His purpose is the first step to seeing His plan for our lives.
What methods does He use to show us His plans? Recall the ways He revealed His plans to Noah, Moses, and David. He spoke to them, He showed them visions, and He wrote through them by His Spirit.
But now we have something that Noah, Moses, and David didn't have. We have the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ in our hearts. We have the Mind of Christ!
1 Corinthians 2:16 Amplified
(16) For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.
We have the mind of Christ and are privy to His thoughts, feelings, and the PURPOSES of HIS HEART! Having the mind of Christ means being able to see the design specifications, the blueprints, of the Master Builder of this creation. Because we have the mind of Christ, we have access to the design. As a result, we can hear His voice explaining it. We can see His model, and we can read and write His thoughts. It is because of the indwelling Christ that we have the privilege of understanding and seeing His plan. And the indwelling Spirit of God gives us the privilege of participating in His plan and understanding our role in His plan.
What are the tools that we use for our part in the design? The same as HIS! What tools did our Father bring to the dawn of creation? Only His spoken Word, only His Declaration!
We participate in the on-going unfolding of this marvelous creation by SPEAKING HIS WORD! We listen, we watch, we understand, and then we DECLARE His Word. That's what Jesus did! He listened... He watched... He understood... and then He declared the Living Word of our Father! He was the WORD and He declared the WORD! And that is what He sent us into the world to accomplish! Listen, watch, understand, and declare!
Speak the Truth in Love!
