Is everything predetermined?
When we read about troubles that seem to be coming for humanity, or for our own lives, it is easy to feel helpless, as if nothing can be done. Some of us quietly conclude that everything in life is already decided and that no effort will change it. But is this really so?
The Bible gives us a gentler picture. Even the disasters God Himself has announced, and even the blessings He has promised, are not always carried out exactly as spoken. Often they depend on how people respond. Consider what God told the prophet Jeremiah:
If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.( Jeremiah 18:7-8 )
And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.( Jeremiah 18:9-10 )
God is saying that His announcements are not a locked door. They are more like an open conversation, in which our choices are heard.
A city that listened
The best-known example is Nineveh. Jonah brought a short and frightening message, and the people took it to heart:
On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!" The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: "No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us."( Jonah 3:4-5,7-9 )
Notice the humility in the king's words: "Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind." He had no guarantee, only hope. And that hope was answered:
When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.( Jonah 3:10 )
Why God warns us
It is worth asking why God warns at all. If a disaster could not be avoided, a warning would only bring sorrow. But a warning is an invitation. Through Jeremiah, God explained His own heart:
Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins.( Jeremiah 26:3 )
But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the LORD your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.( Jeremiah 26:13 )
God does not wish to bring trouble. He hopes to be heard. Sadly, His patience is not always met with a response:
I thought, 'Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings. Then I won't need to strike again, destroying their homes.' But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.( Zephaniah 3:7 )
The prophets were also given a role in this. They were not there to frighten people, but to give them a chance to turn back in time:
When the ram's horn blows a warning, shouldn't the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the LORD has planned it? Indeed, the Sovereign LORD never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.( Amos 3:6-7 )
Humility changes the outcome
The Bible shows this pattern even with those who had gone far astray. King Ahab, one of the most troubled rulers of Israel, humbled himself, and God took notice:
But when Ahab heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about in deep mourning. Then another message from the LORD came to Elijah: "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty."( 1 Kings 21:27-29 )
The same happened with King Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah:
The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah's leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, "This is what the LORD says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak." Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is right in doing this to us!" When the LORD saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: "Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem.( 2 Chronicles 12:5-7 )
In both stories, a humble heart softened what was coming.
What this means for us
There are many examples in the Bible of God changing His course, both for blessings and for hardships, according to how people respond. This invites us to look with open eyes at our own lives and at the people around us. Perhaps God is speaking to us directly through the Bible. Perhaps He is speaking indirectly, through the circumstances we meet. Some circumstances may have been arranged to teach us something. If we learn from them, who knows, we may be spared a harder lesson later.
And when correction does come, it comes from a loving hand:
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, "My child, don't make light of the LORD's discipline, and don't give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child."( Hebrews 12:5-6 )
So we need not despair. The future is not a wall, but a path, and we are invited to walk it together with God.