What God Allows

I don't remember just who I was talking to the other day when the topic of the election came up but this individual said, "Whomever becomes President is the one God allows."  I couldn't disagree, I believe deeply and take great security in God's sovereignty.  But that doesn't mean I believe in personal passivity as I know that one of the things God allows is the consequence of our choices: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7).

Just how God's sovereign choice is exercised concurrently with my selecting consequence, I don't entirely understand nor can I adequately explain it.  There are some things, like the make up of the Trinity, that leave me scratching my head just a bit.  In those matters, I concern myself less with clarity and more with faith.

Nonetheless, I believe in God's sovereignty and I believe in consequences directly connected with our personal choices.  So, while I trust God completely with my future, I make plans and take steps to address it, but I don't worry about it knowing that despite my choice and my consequence, God is in control.

Notice what God tells Joshua as he is called to stand in the place of Moses: "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates---all the Hittite country---to the Great Sea on the west" (Josh 1:3-4).  God tells Joshua that he was going to give him the territory where Joshua chose to set his foot and then goes on to tell him "Here's the boundaries of the territory I will be giving you.

Joshua was one who trusted greatly in the Soverignty of God but also took seriously mankind's personal need to choose: "

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).

Solomon seemed to agree: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Prov 16:9).  We have the right of choice and the expectations of consequence but God's will remains and we do not have the power to circumvent his Soverignty.  So, how does this all work out?  I don't truly know except to say that God is faithful and just, and we can trust in his goodness even when we cannot trust in our good choices.  Understand?  Me neither!  But I trust God!  I also make choices.  Jus' Say'n.