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Does God Have A Script Or A Purpose?

Most of us grew up believing that God has the entire history of the world written down in a finished book. We tell ourselves that every detail—from the day we are born to the moment we take our last breath—is already "set in stone." Some do this for the comfort of knowing God has already finished His plan, while others simply go along to avoid asking some difficult questions.

One of those potentially disruptive questions has to do with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where that idea of a "finished book" runs into an uncomfortable realization.

The Problem with a "Finished" Future

If every passing second of the universe has already been determined, why did Jesus ask, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from me," what was He actually doing?

If the "script" was already written and couldn't be changed, then there was no "if." It would mean Jesus was asking for something that was impossible, even for Him. It would make His agony feel less like a real struggle and more like playing a part in a story that was already over.

A God who Responds

But the Bible doesn't show us a God watching reruns. It shows us a God who's actively participating.

When Jesus prayed in the Garden, He wasn't reciting lines. He was talking to His Father in a real, live moment. When He said, "Not my will, but yours," He wasn't just following a plan that was made at the beginning of time; He was choosing to align Himself with God’s great purpose in that very second.

Think of the difference between a Map and a GPS:

  • A Map is a piece of paper that never changes, like a story that's already ended.

  • A GPS is always changing based on the position of your car--it always knows the final destination, but it responds to every turn you take—guiding you back to the right path even when you hit a dead end or a road is closed.

God’s unchanging Purpose is for us to be fruitful and multiply for His glory and our enjoyment of Him. Yet, He fulfills that purpose through a dynamic relationship—modeled by Jesus—where our choices and His active responses work together in the present moment.

Why This is Good News

If God’s plan is a "living purpose" rather than a "stiff script," it means:

  1. Your prayers matter. They aren't just you talking to yourself; they are a real conversation with a God who listens and acts.

  2. Your choices matter. God hasn't made you a puppet. He has given you the dignity of being a real person whose "Yes" to Him brings Him genuine joy.

  3. God is more powerful, not less. It takes a much bigger God to manage a world of real people making real choices than it does to just play a pre-recorded tape.

The Question We Have to Ask

We have to ask ourselves: Do we worship a God who is "stuck" in a future that’s already finished? Or do we worship the Living God who is actively working with us right now to realize our full potential glorifying and enjoying Him?

If we are willing to look at Jesus’ struggle as a real moment of potential, instead of an actor playing his part, we will begin to 'see' this truth woven through every page of scripture in plain sight.  And if you what more truths like this to reveal themselves more clearly, click this link for the key that unlocks so many of the mysteries God has shared in scripture that enable us to truly know Him in the most intimate ways possible.


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