Did God Plan Every Moment Of Every Day of Your Life - Before You Were Born? 

 Lorraine Day, M.D

The Plan of Salvation is about God, not about us.  It reveals the ultimate representation of His character: His amazing loving kindness for all mankind.  Would God leave His reputation up to the carnal heart of man, making it dependent on our choice?   Never! 

God’s Plan of Salvation is the centerpiece of the history of the Universe, an expression of His character of unending love for everyone He has ever created.  God’s Plan of Salvation is much too important to be left to the whims of humanity. 

Jesus never put His trust in man because He knew what was in the heart of man. 

‘Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. 

“But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, 

“And needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man.” John 2:23-25 

So why would Jesus allow His entire plan of salvation, the ultimate expression of His character of love, to be placed in the hands of degenerate humanity?  The answer is, of course, that He did not! 

Would God leave your salvation up to you – or mine up to me?  The Bible tells us that if He did, neither you, nor I, nor anyone else would be saved. 

“There is none righteous, no not one.”  Romans 3:10

“The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 

“They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that does good, no, not one.”  Psalm 14:2,3; 53:2,3 

“But we are all unclean, and all our righteousness is like filthy rags.”  Isaiah 64:6 

But don’t we have Free Will to make the choice to be saved or not to be saved?

God has told us that He is in charge of the world - and everyone and everything in it.  God is running everything in this universe according to His will – not ours. 

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works ALL after the counsel of His own will.”  Eph 1:11

How can God tell us to “be anxious for nothing” (Phil 4:6) unless He not only knows, but is in control of, everything that is going to happen to us?

God, in His Word, has given us numerous indications that He is running the life, moment by moment, of every person on earth.  But Christians, including theologians, pastors, and Bible scholars, have missed that fact completely. 

Here are just a few examples: 

Life of Jeremiah 

God told Jeremiah He had called him and set him apart for God’s calling before Jeremiah was even born. 

“Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee; and before thou came forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart) and I appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jer 1:4,5 

Jacob and Esau

God chose Jacob, the younger of the twins, rather than Esau, before they were born.  It was an arbitrary decision on God’s part and had nothing to do with the talents or accomplishments of either of the two: 

“And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac:

“(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to (His) election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth.) 

“It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”  Romans 9:10-13 

Saul/Paul on the Road to Damascus 

Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest more Christians.  As a Pharisee, Paul erroneously believed he had the “truth” of God, yet he was exhibiting the character of Satan by putting in prison, and putting to death, those who disagreed with the Pharisees’ view of God.  Saul had no intention of becoming a Christian.  He loathed Christians and wanted them in prison or dead. 

But Jesus had a different plan, and when He appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, Saul was instantly converted. 

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest and asked of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of the Way (followers of Jesus Christ), whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and hear a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? 

And he said, Who are you, Lord?  And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the goads. 

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 

And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 

“And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 

And he was three days without sight; and neither did eat nor drink.  Acts 9:1-9 

Saul was instantly converted, but his heart was not completely changed until God took Paul into the wilderness for three years, to teach him personally, and to change his character and his heart.  He needed conversion and regeneration.  Only then was Paul ready to preach the gospel.           

“But when it please God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen (often mistranslated Gentiles): immediately I did NOT confer with flesh and blood (people): neither did I go up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.” Galatians 1:17 

Paul was called directly by Jesus.  Paul didn’t need confirmation or ordination by man.  Jesus personally called Paul as His twelfth disciple, to replace Judas who had committed suicide.  Earlier, Peter had erroneously decided that it was his job to pick the replacement for Judas.  But Jesus, who had ignored Peter’s choice,  was perfectly capable of picking His own twelfth disciple – Paul, the former Pharisee, a “slaughterer of Christians.” 

It mattered not that Saul hated Christians because he was no match for Jesus Christ who instantly converted Saul – into Paul – and then during his three years in the wilderness, Jesus changed Paul’s nature and character.  

On the Road to Damascus, Paul learned “about” Jesus and His power.  But it was during the three years in the wilderness that Paul learned to know personally the loving character of Jesus. 

Many Christians claim there are some people who are so wicked they will never come to Christ, but Paul properly identifies himself as “the worst of sinners” and Jesus converted Paul in an instant. 

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: of whom I am chief.”  1 Tim 1:15 

Hard-hearted Paul, who held the coats of those who stoned righteous Stephen to death, who had spent his time pursuing, arresting, and arranging death sentences for Christians, gave no resistance whatsoever when Jesus appeared to him. 

Daniel 

In order for God to perform the miraculous deliverance of Daniel from being devoured by the Lions, God had to be in complete charge of every day of Daniel’s life from Daniel’s living in Judah, his being taken captive to Babylon, his refusal to eat of the king’s table, his ability to interpret dreams, and his becoming a high government official in both Babylon and Medo-Persia. 

In addition, in order for all that to happen to Daniel, God had to control completely the daily life of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who conquered Judah, the life of the eunuch who responded positively to Daniel’s desire not to eat of the king’s table, the life of Belshazzar who was conquered by Darius the Mede immediately after Daniel’s interpretation of the writing on Belshazzar’s palace wall, the conquering of Babylon by Darius, the life of Cyrus the Persian, who allowed the Israelites to return to Palestine, and the lives of those who plotted against Daniel to cause Daniel to be thrown into the Lions’ den. 

God doesn’t just “jump into our life” now and then to answer some particular prayer.  And when He does answer a prayer, often there are so many others whose lives are involved in that particular answer to one individual’s prayers, that it becomes very clear that God must be in charge of everyone’s life, every moment of every day. 

Abraham 

God called Abraham out of Babylon.

“And he went out, now knowing where he was going.” (Heb 11:8) 

God had to lead Abraham every step of the way to the land of Canaan, where eventually he and Sarah were promised a son.  But God did not honor Abraham’s attempt to work out God’s will in Abraham’s own way.  Abraham did not trust that God could give them a son through Sarah who was already in her 80’s.  So Abraham committed adultery with Sarah’s maid, Hagar, and Ishmael was born. 

God was testing Abraham’s faith, a test that he failed miserably.  But God gave Abraham a “Second Chance” to trust Him, and Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 years old and Abraham was 100. 

God had purposely closed Sarah’s womb for 90 years of her life in order to perform this amazing miracle.  God had been leading both Abraham and Sarah during every moment of each of their lives to culminate in this miraculous beginning of the nation of Israel that was to symbolize all the true followers of Jesus Christ for thousands of years afterward, until Christ’s second coming. 

Noah 

It is no coincidence that Noah was 600 years old the year the flood came to destroy the wickedness of the earth (Gen 7:6).  God’s number is 7, but the number of man (humanity) is “6.” Methuselah died at the age of 969 years (Gen 5:27) the year the flood came.  As mentioned above, the number of “man” (humanity) is 666, according to Revelation 13:18, and the number 666 is formed if the two “9’s” in Methuselah’s age are turned upside down.  It is also no coincidence that Methuselah’s name meant, “When he dies, it will be sent” or “His death will bring. . .” referring to the flood. 

God promised Noah that He would save Noah and his family from the flood, but God would do so by using the boat Noah was commanded to build.  It is important to understand that God did not leave up to Noah how God would save him; God made that decision.  Nor was it left up to Noah the way he was to build the boat (the ark), God made that decision, as well. 

Noah was not allowed to consult with the “expert” boat-builders of his time.  It was God who told Noah exactly how to build the boat, including the type of wood, the height and breadth of the boat, where the windows would be, and how to make it water-proof. 

“Make thee an ark of gopher wood: compartments shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 

“And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 

“A window shalt thou make in the ark, and to a cubit from above you shall finish it; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.”  Genesis 6:14-16 

God made ALL the decisions about Noah’s salvation from disaster in the worldwide flood.  Noah was not allowed to make any decisions about his own “salvation.”  Noah’s only job was to carry out God’s instructions precisely.  

Moses 

Moses was born during the time that Pharaoh had commanded that all Israelite baby boys must be killed at birth (Exodus 1:15,16).  After Moses’ mother, Jochebed, gave birth to Moses, she made an ark of bulrushes and hid the baby in the river.  Pharaoh’s daughter came to the river to bathe, found the baby Moses in the bulrushes, and ultimately hired Jochebed to nurse Moses, not knowing that Jochebed was Moses’ mother. 

When Moses became an adult, he was aware that God had called him to be the deliverer of the Israelites, but Moses presumed he would deliver them by force.  After Moses killed an Egyptian who was abusing an Israelite slave, he had to flee to Midian where he tended sheep for forty years, until the age of 80. 

God appeared to Moses at Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai) in a “burning bush” that did not burn up, the same place where God would later direct Moses to bring the Israelites to meet with God. 

Moses, who eventually delivered the Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh, was nurtured in Pharaoh’s palace, as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  It was Pharaoh who strongly resisted the deliverance of the Israelites from his slavery, yet he nurtured in his own palace, his adopted grandson, Moses, who became that deliverer appointed by God. 

During the plagues on Egypt, God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart” so he would not let the Israelites go, at least until the tenth plague when Pharaoh’s first-born son died.  So it is obvious that God was in charge of Pharaoh’s life.  In fact, the Bible tells us: 

“For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show My power in thee, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth.”  Romans 9:17 

Subsequently, Moses led over a million Israelites out of Egypt into the desert wilderness for forty years, where God miraculously delivered them from the Egyptians through the Red Sea, where God miraculously supplied their food (manna from heaven), where God miraculously supplied their water from a rock, where God miraculously supplied their air conditioning with His covering cloud and their heating with His fire covering by night, and where their shoes and clothes miraculously did not wear out for forty years. 

In order for these events to take place, God had to control the everyday lives of Moses, Aaron, Caleb, Joshua, and over a million Israelites, as well as the life of Pharaoh and the lives of his entire Egyptian army, and all the armies that came against the Israelites subsequently, and all those who eventually were driven out of the Promised Land. 

These could not be coincidences.  Moses was chosen by God before he was born.  And God controlled every moment of every day of the life of Moses, even to the rebellion of Moses when he hit the rock rather than speaking to it, as God had commanded.  For this sin, God prohibited Moses from leading the Israelites into the Promised Land.  

But there was a good reason for this as well.  At age 120, Moses, still in good health with amazing vision (“his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated…” Deut 34:7) climbed Mt. Nebo, lay down on the mountaintop, and died. 

Moses could not be the one to lead the Israelites into the Promised land; it had to be Joshua, who represented Jesus.  The name Jesus is the Latin translation of the name Joshua (or Yeshua, before the letter “J” came into any alphabet, about the 16^th century A.D.), which was the real name of Jesus when He was on earth.  So it was Joshua who had been chosen to lead the Israelites to their destination in Israel, symbolizing Jesus who will lead all His children into the “Promised Land” of eternity. 

Moses, of course, received a much greater reward.  He was later resurrected and taken to heaven and subsequently appeared with Elijah when Jesus was transfigured into His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt17:1-3). 

“Make Me a Sanctuary. . .” 

Shortly after God spoke the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai (Exodus 20), He wrote them on tablets of stone because the Israelites had refused to let God talk to them directly, fearing they would die (Ex 20:19).  God’s intention was to “put His law in their mind and heart” (Hebrews 8:6-10) so they would have a changed character, the character of Jesus Christ that would make it possible for them to keep His commandments.   

But without God’s “law” in their hearts, they would be a rebellious and unruly mass of humanity.  So in the subsequent chapters of Exodus, God gave Moses civil laws, laws to judge criminal behavior, and laws of sanitation, so there would be order, cleanliness, and freedom from disease in the camp of over a million inhabitants. 

Because they refused God’s loving attempt to lead the life of each Israelite individually, by speaking to each of their respective hearts and minds, God told Moses: 

“Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.”  Exodus 25:8 

The Israelites had been slaves to the Egyptians for 400 years.  They could not read or write, and they knew very little about God or His Plan of Salvation.  One of the most successful methods of learning is through picture association, so God provided the Israelites with a three-dimensional panorama of the Plan of Salvation by the building of the Sanctuary.

But just as in the case of Noah and the building of the ark, it would be God who would make ALL the decisions on the building of the Sanctuary.  After all, the sanctuary and its services were to be used as a teaching tool to reveal to the Israelites God’s wonderful and loving Plan of Salvation for the whole world.  Moses’ only job was to follow God’s instructions.  Moses was not allowed to make any decisions on his own. 

God’s instructions to Moses are almost painfully detailed.  But it is important to read at least a portion of them below: 

“Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of artistic designs shalt thou make them. 

“The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall be the same measurement. 

“The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another. 

“And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 

“Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another. 

‘And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps; and it shall be one tabernacle.”  Exodus 25:1-6 

And then God proceeds to spend five more very long chapters in Exodus explaining precisely how to build the roof of the sanctuary, how to form the ark of the covenant to hold the Ten Commandments, how to construct the table of shewbread, the lampstand, the altar, and the laver, the measurements of the court, the curtains around the court, the clothes to be worn by the priests – down to the tiny tassels on the hem of the garment: 

“And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about: 

“A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.”  Exodus 28:33,34 

For years, when I read these chapters in the Bible, I would skip over them superficially, not understanding why God would care more than a high-priced fashion or interior designer in New York or Paris about curtain clasps, curtain loops, twined linen of specific colors, and how an ephod (breastplate) would be attached to a tunic. 

But I was missing the point completely, as the entire organized church continues to do.  

The details of this sanctuary, its furniture and its services, were meant to reveal God’s Plan of Salvation to everyone in the world, from generation to generation, for thousands of years in the future, until the consummation, when God, who is “the Savior of ALL mankind” (1 Tim 4:10) will become “All in All” (1 Cor 15:28).  

Everything in the Sanctuary and its services has a special symbolism, another revelation of God’s character.  God’s amazing specificity in his directions to Moses demonstrates the importance of God’s Plan of Salvation.  After all, it is the reason that God created the world, to show us, and the universe, His character of love. 

Moses was a man of great integrity and a friend of God, who God eventually resurrected and took to heaven.  If God would not leave up to Moses the decision on even one tiny detail of the symbolic Plan of Salvation represented by the building of the sanctuary and itss furniture, and the conduct of the sanctuary services, why would God leave the actual Plan of Salvation – the saving of everyone in the world – up to us?  Up to stupid, degenerate, humanity? 

It is simply ludicrous to think that He would, to think that God would give humanity free will, “the blind leading the blind” because, as Jesus said, “They both will fall into a ditch” (Luke 6:39).

Joseph 

Fourteen chapters in the Bible (Gen 37-50) are devoted solely to the life of Joseph, in part because Joseph represents a type of Christ.  He was hated by his brothers, but eventually became their deliverer, and the deliverer of the fledgling nation of Israel.

As one studies the life of Joseph, it becomes obvious that God was running every moment of every day of his life.  As a young boy, Joseph had two dreams revealing that all his brothers and his parents would bow down to him.  This enraged his brothers and disturbed his parents, but years later the dreams came true.  But for that to happen, all the circumstances of Joseph’s life had to be planned in advance – by God. 

Jacob (wrongly) loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was the first-born son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loved the most.  This, of course, caused problems in the family.  Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and planned to kill him.  But at the last minute, the brothers decided instead to sell him to the Ishmaelite traders who were traveling by on their way to Egypt.  For this to happen, God had to be in daily (minute to minute) control of the Ishmaelite traders, as well as all of Joseph’s brothers. 

Then Potiphar had to be impressed to buy Joseph as a slave.  And Potiphar’s wife had to try to seduce Joseph to get him thrown into jail.  And Joseph’s fellow prison mates, Pharaoh’s baker and butler, had to have dreams that Joseph interpreted for them, so later the butler, on remembering that incident, could recommend Joseph to Pharaoh as one who could interpret Pharaoh’s dream.  This chain of events resulted in Pharaoh appointing Joseph as a ruler of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, himself. 

Joseph was then in a position to have his original two dreams fulfilled: the dreams in which his family bowed down to him.  It took many years for all this to come about, but it didn’t happen by coincidence.  God had mapped out every day of Joseph’s life, the good and the bad.  In retrospect, Joseph could see, and so can we who read his story, that God controls everyone and everything in the world, and that God always brings something good out of something bad. 

The hearts of Joseph’s brothers were changed, their lives and the lives of their families were saved from the famine, Joseph had learned to trust God through the bad and the good times, and Joseph was reunited with his father, who had been convinced for many years that his favorite son was dead. 

Joseph understood that God was in charge of everything, the good and the bad, when he explained to his brothers: 

“But as for you, you intended evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”  Genesis 50:20

God will not leave our salvation to chance! 

There are numerous passages in the Bible that tell us that God loves us so much He will never leave our salvation to chance – in our hands. 

God is working in us to do His good pleasure.

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will – and to do – of HIS good pleasure.”  Phil 2:13 

God is directing our paths.

“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and HE shall direct thy paths.”  Prov 3:6 

God will provide the necessities of our life.  He knows what we need.

“Therefore I say unto you, Do not worry about your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. . . Wherefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”  

Therefore, do not worry saying, What shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, Wherewithall shall we be clothed? 

(“For after all these things do the Unbelievers seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Matt 6:25,30-33 

It is God’s will that ALL be saved. 

“God wills ALL men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim 2:4 

We exist in Him.  

“For in Him we live, and move, and are (have our being).”  Acts 17:27 

God causes the rulers of the Ten Kingdoms (the ten horns) of the world to fulfill HIS will. 

“For the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to be of one mind, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”  Rev 17:16,17 

God loves us and knows every minute detail of our life. 

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 

“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”  Luke 12:6,7

It is God’s will (not just His “desire) that none should perish. 

“God is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9 

“God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?  

“At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not: He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not.  Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things.  Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it.”  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, July 16 

“I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:18 

“All things work together for good, to them that love the Lord.” Rom 8:28 

The examples from the Bible, given above, are of people no different from the common man.  We perceive these patriarchs as giants of faith, as saints with integrity far greater than our own.  But they were not perfect in any way.  Jacob was a liar, Moses was a murderer, Saul/Paul was an accomplice to murder and a persecutor of Christians, Abraham was an adulterer and a liar, and Joseph reveled in the knowledge that he was his father’s favorite son. 

If God was running their lives moment to moment, every day, we can be sure He is doing the same for you and for me. 

If you’re upset that you don’t have Free Will, answer this question:  

Who would you rather have in charge of your salvation?  You – or God?