Thursday, March 1, 2007

God's Mind?

Welcome Drew.
Thank you for the lively discussion about God's master plan. Drew you certainly make me think. Your mother expressed my thoughts very well. Yes, I agree with you .

I need to be careful that when I make a statement that I make sure I express my meaning as well. I often expect that all are following my train of thought.

If you have not read the post be sure to go to God's Will and read the comments. It is from the comments from that posting that I am now questioning. I hope Drew will respond. Drew made an interesting comment on God changing His mind:
"God doesn't rarely change his mind because of prayer, he changes his mind every single time someone prays. The very act of prayer, regardless of content, will cause God to respond."

Hum-m , interesting comment. Our prayers changing God's mind? It does bring the parable of the Persistent Widow to mind.

Luke 18

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

If God answers our prayers with a negative response did our prayers change God's mind?

Elaborate on this for me, Drew. Preach on, brother.

Make me think.

3 comments:

  1. hey! checking out to see if i can respond!

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  2. ok. i can respond again.

    While I can understand that God does change His mind - Moses, The nation of Isreal, the widow etc . . still, I am more than rebuked that I would know answers better than God - - my wants and desires should change the course of history (mine, of course) when all I want to do is not blow it.

    So while I agree that it's possible, I do NOT think it's wise.God knows me much much better than I do.

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  3. Well I didn't mean to preach, but...

    Jackie, forgive me for being blunt (I'm just not good at being subtle) but you are assuming there is only one right path that your life can follow - God knows that path and therefore any intervention on your part might pull you off that path. This makes sense from our point of view, but as you point out, God is much bigger than us. From God's point of view, there must be a myriad of 'right' paths! A metaphor: A skilled artist might be able to express herself using one or two mediums - watercolors or oils, perhaps. But a truly masterful artist might be able to express the same thing through paint, poetry, prose, etc. God is the epitome of the artist - he can and will express himself through any of the infinite mediums he has created. Changing his means does not, for God, mean he has changed the outcome. God does know best, so have faith that asking him to change things doesn't mean you are asking him to abandon the 'better' path!

    When we pray, we may or may not actually change the course of history - but we will change the way God chooses to express himself. Even when God refuses us, his refusal will come in a different way because we prayed. I believe this precisely because I believe God knows best. That is, if I have prayed for something the situation is different than if I had not - and any different situation requires a different response. So then, even God's refusals will be changed by our praying.

    But this isn't all! God doesn't respond dynamically to our prayers only because it is necessary to change his respond to fit our response. Rather, he has chosen this because God wants relationship with us - love can only exist within a dynamic relationship.

    I am reminded of Matt. 7 (or is it 8?) when Jesus asks whether anyone would give their son a snake when he asks for a fish, or a rock when asked for bread. The point is clear, God knows how to give good gifts. Ultimately, we do have to bow to God's wisdom - the end of Job makes this poetically and powerfully clear - Where were you when the foundations of the universe were laid? Can you tame the behemoth? or catch the leviathan? God didn't swoop down and give in to all Job's requests - but he did swoop down. God responded - do you think he would have come had Job not prayed?

    I'm sure there is more to say, but I need to sign off... I'm at work and I think I'm rambling anyway...

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