A few years ago, my father in-law Frank, called and asked if my boys and I would come help him install a new sprinkler system in his front yard. We obliged.
When we got to his house we were amazed to see he had a diagram that laid out every detail of the system. He had been a plumber and union pipe fitter most of his life, so this was natural for him.
He had calculated the distance of separation for each sprinkler head, their exact position and spray pattern. He knew where every coupling, riser, and all other parts were to go, and had also purchased all the materials. All we had to do was dig the trenches and glue (which he had also purchased) everything together.
When we were done, we had a great sense of reward as we fired up the system for the first time. It worked perfectly. But my boys and I would be the first to tell you it was all Frank.
You could call it sprinkler predestination.
The word predestination, and all arguments associated with it, has caused much angst when it comes to our thinking about God. The repulsive picture of a cosmic puppeteer manipulating people’s lives willy-nilly is what comes to mind with most people. Notwithstanding the negative sound to that kind of view, God’s predestination is biblical.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:29–30)
Let’s use my father in-law’s sprinkler system to illustrate what’s being said in these verses.
Before we jumped for joy at the system working, we had to install it. Before we installed it, my father-law had called us. Before he called us, he had pre-purchased all the supplies. Before he pre-purchased the supplies, he had calculated exactly what he needed. And all his calculations were based on his prior plumbing experience and expertise.
Before you ever knew God, he knew you. And based on what he knew about you, he prepared events, calculated things, and brought all the pieces of your life together so that when he called you, you answered. And as a result, you’ve experienced the joy and sense of reward that comes from answering the call of God. But you’d be the first one to tell everyone…it was all God!
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