Christian Living

---

“What is the measure of influence that we as human beings have on the decisions that God makes?

We could speculate and guess, but the way we really get to know God’s ways and how He feels and operates is by studying the Bible. It is there that we see how God deals with different situations with the human race. We catch glimpses and sometimes detailed vision of His personality and His character.

In the reference text, Deut. 9: 13 and 14, we read that God is stating to Moses that He has watched the Israelites and sees that they are a stiff-necked people; they are stubborn and they are rebellious. God was speaking of His reaction to the latest unholy thing they had done which was the building and the worshipping of the golden calf, which their own hands had formed. God’s reaction to it was severe. He told Moses that He was going to kill them all and start over again with Moses.

I see two specific answers to the question of, “What influence do we as human beings have on the decisions that God makes?”

The first is that when we are offensive to God by our blatant disobedience to Him, He gets disgusted with us. He might, or could, get so disgusted with us that He would consider wiping us out.

The second response to the question that I see in this text is that Moses, who always obeyed God, except once, had persuasive power with God. He speaks his heart to God and told Him that if He is going to destroy the people that he then wanted God to kill him also. God relented.

God wants relationship with us. He has feelings. He has personality. He has character. His Holy character cannot “hug up” on our sins; therefore, when we sin we separate ourselves from His fellowship. That act of disrespect for Him, and being willing to continue in that act, equates to the rejection of Him. That is of great concern to Him. If we continue to disobey and to disrespect Him, He will eventually know that we are not choosing to be with Him, and that will label us as an enemy of God. Why? Because we chose it and He will not violate our will.

We do, most definitely have an effect on the decisions that God makes.

Conversely, we see that Moses, whom God calls His “friend,” because Moses respected God and spoke in honesty with God, had an effect on God’s decisions as well. Because Moses pleaded with God for the people, God did not wipe them out.

Sometimes we misapply the “unchanging” qualities of God’s character and His Laws, which are constant, to His being unwilling to relent on a decision He has made. He will relent or repent of a decision in cases where we repent of our disrespect and disobedience to Him.

We do have an effect on God’s decisions.

II Chronicles 7: 14 supports this fact when God says, “IF My people, who are called by MY Name WILL humble themselves, seek My face, confess their sins, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from Heaven and will heal their land.”

Although God is Sovereign and He could, He does not make us live righteously. We must make the choice and consequently be blessed or cursed.

What we get is what we sow,
we decide the crop we grow.
to plant a corn seed
and to grow a bean,
will never be a thing that’s seen.

R 01/12/11

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE