Does God Put Every Person In Our Lives?

[Openly Curious]

From the time we are born until the time we pass does God put every person that we will encounter into our lives?

No, I do not believe God places every person we will experience within our lifetime into our lives. There are good and bad influences that comes in and out of our lives. I do believe that God allows people to come into our lives for his purposes for our good (direction, enlightenment, warnings, edification etc.,). It is not God who sends people into our lives who are bad influences for the worst tempting us with evil (wrongdoing), those who murder, rape, or cause harm to us in anyway. I understand that we wrestle not with flesh and blood and that our battle is in the spiritual realm but the enemy (Satan) uses and influences people to do wrong and we can be effected by those people in our lives. I understand also that God can turn those things Satan used to steal our faith in God things meant for our harm and destruction to work together for our good if we love and belong to him. We are told in scripture to have no fellowship (seperate) with the unfruitful works of darkness which shows us not everyone is placed in our lives by God lest he would not tell us to have no communications with those who do the works of darkness.

[Floatingaxe]

I've had some people in my life that I invited there---and it wasn't always a good thing. I have also had people in my life that Satan introduced there---some weakened me and I have had to do some major spiritual work to overcome the effects, and others I know I have made a spiritual impact on for Christ. Were all of these people in my life by God's design? No, not all the evil ones. God has the great ability to turn what the enemy meant for harm into something good, however.

I know that I don't need to know the whys and the wherefores, because when I see Jesus, I will have all my answers then! The end determination will be that it was worth it all

How do you know that Satan put any of those people there? Perhaps God put them in your path for a reason? Maybe there were lessons you had to learn? I don't think anything happens by chance. I believe every single person that I have met was placed in my path for a reason. I believe all the people that are part of WB are here by God's design. Even those I have had contentions with have often times taught me things. It is all in how you look at it.

By the way, welcome back Floatingaxe.

I don't believe that the particular people---one in particular who manifested a demon and attacked me---was placed there by God. It was Satan's plan to detour me from what God was calling me to. I did eventually learn from it, but that is because God stepped in and turned it around for me. Satan has an agenda, too, and it is to discourage and to destroy the effective ministry of believers. At that time I was in a leadership position and was doing well in my spiritual life, producing fruit and growing more and more strong, and bringing others along in their faith as well. Satan hates people like that, and turns up the heat. God isn't blind to it, but He doesn't send it.

Thank you for the welcome! I am glad to be participating here again.

[Ephesians__6_24]

2 Chronicles 25

⁵Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield.

¹¹And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.

¹²And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.

2 Kings 14

⁷[Amaziah] slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

2 Chronicles 25

¹⁴Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

¹⁵Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?

¹⁶And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

¹⁷Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face.

¹⁸And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

¹⁹Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

²⁰But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

²¹So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

²²And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

²³And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

²⁴And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

Proverbs 19:21

There are many plans/thoughts/intentions in a man's heart; nevertheless the plans/purposes of the LORD, that shall stand.

- Was it of God that Amaziah sent to Joash (v. 17)?

(verse 20 says that "Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.")

[Watchman Neo]

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

He has prepared our works and has placed them in order for us. He did this before time began (see Isaiah 46:10.) We have a pre-ordained path to walk…but how? Ezekiel gives us part of the answer, as does John:

Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come

John 2:20,27 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things…But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

We learn from Ezekiel and John that the preordained path is brought to us by the Holy Spirit. He takes from what belongs to Christ (which is everything…including plenary knowledge), and makes it known to us…He teaches us and guides us. This guidance is momentary and is required for us to walk in the pre-ordered pre-prepared works our Papa has planned for each of us…and the list of works and their order is not contained in scripture.

What does that look like in real life? I was in the exam room of my clinic with a man once. He seemed really down and I was about to ask him if he’d like to pray together. The Spirit said, ‘just listen.’ So, even though I was behind, I listened to his sad tale for the next fifteen minutes or so. When he was finished speaking, he suddenly smiled and said, ‘Thanks, doc! It’s been a long time since anyone took the time to just listen to me…that was just what I needed!’ Had I insisted on praying with him, he wouldn’t have been edified.

Does He put each person into our way? I'd have to say yes, with a qualification: He may also allow something from the enemy that He will work to our good...but that doesn't mean He put it there.

blessings,

Watchman Neo

Edited December 25, 2011 by Watchman Neo

[taylor30]

I think the only honest answer to this would be, SOMETIMES. Man has free will. If I decide to go out and meet a random stranger, why would it have to be from God? To say that people don't randomly come into your life is to say that God is some kind of puppet master pulling everyone's strings. God clearly doesn't do that. Some people are directed into our lives, but clearly not everyone. That would also mean everything they do was directed, whether good or bad. To believe this you have to admit there is no free will.

Here is a silly example, but it gets the point across. Lets say I am a serial killer. If I kill 10 people, you would have,to admit I did nothing wrong. WHY, because God knew what I would do and brought those people into my path. So clearlt I did what God wanted right, since there couldn't have been any other outcome. Think about it.

Some people ARE sent by God, some ARE random.