It is a very profound and significant question: Is the fate of man in the hands of God? One of the questions that people often ask themselves is whether God pre-determines everything that occurs in our life, or we are capable of making our own choices. Having heard the MCGI subject and reading the bible, I understood that God does control everything and yet He gives man the choice.
This is clearly depicted in the Bible which says that God is all powerful. He was the one who made the heavens and the earth and all that exists is in His control. Isaiah 46:10 remarks, Proclaiming the end that there is, and since the beginning of the age the things that have not been, saying, My consultation stands, and I will do all my pleasure. This implies that God is aware of what is going to occur even before it occurs. He knows what to do with anything in the world, and nothing catches Him off his guard.
Yet, we were not created to be robots by God. He presented us with free will, the power of choice between good and bad. In the book of Deuteronomy 30:19, God said, I have placed before thee life and death, blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy generation should live. This verse demonstrates that even though God knows what is ahead of us, He does not in any way deny us the choice of the direction of our life. We lead the way of our lives and make a decision that will either make us blessed or miserable.
As an illustration, God was aware that Adam and Eve would consume the forbidden fruit, yet he did not make them do so. He also instructed them and threatened them with the outcome, but they decided to obey not. Their choice introduced sin in the world. This indicates that although God is aware of our destiny, He still allows us to practice our free will to obey or not obey His word.
According to my personal interpretation, God determines the general course of the world, but as within the plan, he provides an individual with a chance to decide how to live. It is as though a teacher were to set an exam. The teacher is aware of the potential outcomes, some of them will pass exams, others will fail, but every learner will have to come up with his own answer. Similarly, God gives us his Word to guide us, it is up to us to choose whether to follow the Word or not.
Proverbs 16:9 states that the heart of a man planeth his path: but the Lord rules his path. This implies that we are capable of making our plans but it is God who permits things to occur or not. In some cases, we can end up doing what we believe is best to us, but that is not what God wants. He is able to alter things in order to serve His divine purpose. Romans 8:28 also promises us, that we know that everything works to the good of them that love God.
Should God therefore be said to be the controller of man? Well, sort of--since He is the one in charge of everything that occurs. God does not take away our duty though he has the control. He provides us with options, and our options come with a cost. We need to make prudent decisions, follow His commandments and witness to his plan even when we do not know it.
To sum up, I suppose that there is a cooperation between the power of God and free will of man. We should always remember the greater will of God, and He is loving enough to give us a choice whether we should follow His ways or not. In my case, I have been taught to give my plans to God since his plans are always superior. It is stated in Jeremiah 29:11 that, The Lord knows the thoughts which I think about you, saith the Lord, not of evil but of peace, to increase your expected end. The bottom line is that we just can never go wrong when we rely on the control of God and make the right decisions and the destiny will be peace and blessing.