Ecclesiastes 6:10-12(NLT)
“10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny. 11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they? 12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?”
Ecclesiastes 6:10-12(NLT) speaks to the questions that are on the minds of many. They are asking God, “What’s next? What’s going to happen in my life?” We want to know where this journey will take us. Will you live to see another day? Will you get married? Will you stop living from paycheck to paycheck? These are some of the questions that stay on the minds of many. Life has proven itself to be very unpredictable. You can be going about your everyday business, when WHAMM! Something unexpected comes out of nowhere and knocks you for a loop! In our minds, these challenges, obstacles, and dilemmas seem unavoidable, but we need to go to God’s Word and examine whether they really are.
This passage in Ecclesiastes 6:10-12 tells us that there’s no use whatsoever in arguing with God about our destines. He decided them long ago, way before we were born. This doesn’t mean that we are puppets and our every move is predetermined by a script. No, God didn’t create us to operate that way. We have the gift of free-will. This means we are free to make our own choices and decisions. We decide whether we will travel the path of destiny and run the race that God has set before us, or whether we will run in the opposite direction.
Our destinies are anchored in the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s Will and plan for our lives is that we become more and more like Jesus Christ every day. This is our most important goal, and it is God’s greatest desire for us. Heavenly Father tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that His plan is to give us a future and a hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, but sometimes we don’t get on board with God’s plan. We want to do things our own way, and this very often leads us away from the destiny God has for us.
When we experience some of life’s unpredictable hiccups, sometimes it is because we have ignored God’s call, and we haven’t been as attentive to our spiritual growth in Christ as we should be. God’s destiny for us is such that we should have been further along in the faith by now, but we’ve missed the mark. And because we missed the mark, the enemy used our unpreparedness to hurl darts that caught us by surprise. We don’t have the spiritual strength to stand as strong as we should, because we still have a ways to go to thoroughly fortify our minds and hearts with God’s Word.
God’s Word is life to us. 2Timothy 3:16-17(NLT) tells us, “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” When things are not moving in a direction that lifts us up, God commands us to return to His Word, because in the realm of His Word, Romans 8:28 proclaims that ALL things will work together for our good.
Psalms 91:1(NKJV) says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Heavenly Father tells us to dwell in His secret place, because there we’ll find safety, comfort, and provision. When we abide in this place spiritually, our external circumstances have no other choice but to follow. But when we are trying to operate outside of God’s Will and plan, we are choosing a destiny that isn’t ours, and because of our free-will, God will allow us to do this. It was never God’s Will for Adam and Eve to disobey, but disobedience is the choice they made. God allowed them to do so, but they lost everything because of this awful and catastrophic choice.
We can reject the decision and choice that Adam and Eve chose. Let’s choose life! Let’s choose God’s Word! Let’s choose His love! Jesus Christ is our hope! This is good news! Our destiny is in him and we can always return to his loving arms. He invites us in Matthew 11:28-30(NLT), “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” God is so gracious. He allows us to get back on the path, and let the Lord Jesus Christ teach us the reality of the amazing destiny that leads to spending an eternity with our God.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Your Destiny Has Already Been Decided” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.