Does God determine His plans for you before you are born? Yes, He does.
Consider Jeremiah. God said to him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5, Amplified). Yes, God thought about Jeremiah before he was born and set him apart for a specific purpose.
And consider John the Baptist. Before he was born, the angel Gabriel came to his father Zacharias and said, “He [John] will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:15-17). God’s Word clearly shows that He consecrated both Jeremiah’s and John’s lives for His purposes.
The End From the Beginning
God knows the end from the beginning. He establishes His will by orchestrating the lives of everyone and everything in the tapestry of creation. Not only does He know His plans for us, but He also knows how to develop us to accomplish those plans. Furthermore, He knows exactly how those plans will be completed. Our role is to yield and cooperate with God, walking in a path laid out for us from before we were born.
In Isaiah 46:9-11 (NLT), God declares His divine authority to bring to pass His good pleasure: “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it.”
God's Plan, Not Our Own
Proverbs 19:21 reveals that “there are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” We all have desires for our life’s path, but God’s plans will prevail. Therefore, it is to our benefit to lay down our plans and walk in His: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).
As God’s people, we have a choice: Will we be self-willed or humble? Willful individuals struggle as they wrestle for control of their destiny. The humble learn to walk in the way established for them, finding that God’s plans perfectly fit their personalities and capabilities.
God covers all of the details and will work through our lives (Philippians 2:13). We can trust Him to complete what He has begun in us!
Growing Into Destiny
Let’s look at Joseph’s life. In Genesis 37, Joseph began having dreams of his brothers bowing before him. Boastfully, he told his family of these dreams. Shortly after that, Joseph’s life took many detours – slavery, enticement by Potiphar’s wife, and imprisonment. Each turn was intended to mature him to walk humbly in God’s plan.
In time, Joseph became a wise, Godly man who ascended to power despite all he endured. He forgave and showed compassion to his family. And in days of famine, his wisdom and foresight saved the lives of many in Egypt (Genesis 50:20).
Just as Jeremiah and John the Baptist had to grow into the pre-determined destiny God established for them, Joseph did as well. Praise God – neither man forfeited his call!
Each man yielded to God’s way as the best way for his life.
Lastly, in the book Detours, author Tony Evans states that our destiny has been placed within us from the beginning. The path is not outside us or beyond us; it is within us. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says it best: “God has set eternity in our hearts.” Our hearts know there is an eternity that God sovereignly reigns over. He lovingly planned for us in eternity past and now guides our lives into His design for us in eternity future.
In Part 2, I share three vital keys to growing into the destiny God has placed within you. Stay tuned.
Peace~
Dr. Iris Barrett
