What is destiny? Destiny, according common definition, is your God-given path of life that you must take—God doesn't care whether we want it or not, we must go through it. Destiny, also according to many people, is God-given fate that God decided for someone and it shall come to pass even though God should bring disaster to one's life to make it happen.
Let's see what destiny is according to the Bible. The Word of God in Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The Amplified Bible says, For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
What God has prepared for us is good. Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). If you read James 1:1-18 you will understand that James is teaching that trials don't come from God because He only gives what is good and perfect. If God only gives the good and perfect things, then the destiny, path of life, or fate that He has prepared for us must also be good and perfect.
Ephesians 1:3-4 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Our destiny is to be holy and blameless before the Lord and abound with spiritual blessings.
Then Jeremiah 29:11, The Amplified Bible, tells that For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
If His plans are filled with peace and to give hope, subsequently God will never bring disasters to us. Disasters do not give peace and hope, and therefore it can't be from God. Then who brings it to us? Surely it's Satan who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).
God has prepared for us path of good life and He is waiting for us to walk in it (read again Ephesians 2:10). Therefore don't be surprised if the Lord Jesus tells us not to fret at all about what we need in life for if we seek... first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:25-34). Jesus also said that He came to the earth so that we may have an abundant life (John 10:10).
The Word of God also says that Jesus Himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (1 Peter 2:24). Sickness and disease are wages of sins. And if you have believed and have confessed that Jesus is Lord and Savior, then you should not have sickness and disease for by His stripes on the cross He has healed you.
That's only a small part of the Word of God depicting our destiny in Christ Jesus. We are supposed to live without lack, have excellent health, and succeed in all ways. We are supposed to live a life filled only with good and perfect things.
If God has prepared a good path of life for us, then why our life is not as wonderful as we expected? Does it mean God doesn't love us anymore? Does it mean God is punishing us for what we've done in the past?
If our life is not in its best right now, it doesn't mean that God doesn't love us anymore for He is love (1 John 4:16). Also it can't be because God is condemning us for the Word says that there is now no condemnation for believers (Romans 8:12).
Then who's corrupting our life? "Satan!" Correct answer. But who helped the devil and his cohorts to successfully steal, kill and destroy our life? "You!" "Hey, I can't be the one helping the devil destroying my own life," you may say. I thought so too about myself. Now let's see what the Word of God says regarding our roles in our own life.
Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). We are given freedom to will and choose in this life. Look at Adam in the Garden of Eden. God told Adam what he shouldn't eat (fruits of one tree only!) while he could manage and cultivate everything else as he pleased (Genesis 2:15).
Then what happened next? Adam voluntarily ate the forbidden fruit together with his wife (Genesis 3:6). Where do you think God was when that happened? Was God not paying attention that He didn't know that Adam and Eve were being tempted by Satan? Of course not. God knew precisely what was happening in the Garden for His eyes are over His righteous people (read 2 Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 33:18; 1 Peter 3:12; Proverbs 14:3).
When Eve was being tempted by Satan, Adam was beside her. Adam was not in the bathroom so that he couldn't hear and see what's happening in the living room. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Genesis 3:6). Adam was right next to Eve when she was tempted by Satan. Adam must have heard the whole conversation between his wife and Satan because he was with her.
Then why God didn't prevent Eve and Adam from eating the forbidden fruit? God couldn't do anything because they had decided to obey the voice of Satan and not God's. If, at that time, Adam used his authority as manager of the Garden and threw the devil out, the devil couldn't resist it because Adam was the rightful authority of the Garden (Genesis 2:15). Whatever Adam said came to pass (Genesis 2:19-20).
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour,. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. (Psalm 8:4-9).
Adam was given full authority by God to lord over all of His creation. When tempting Even, Satan possessed the body of snake. Snake is God's creation and Adam was made lord over God's creation. If Adam rebuked the snake and told him to shut up and leave, the snake must have obeyed Adam.
The same authority is still with man, whether he's born again or not. Man can refuse Satan and man can also refuse God. man can refuse God with his words as well as his deeds. Look at Adam, he refused God's word without saying a word--he just violated God's Word.
Why did God "let" His people fall into sin? If we read the Word carefully, then we will realize that since the beginning He wants His people choose to obey Him. If not then He certainly would not put the forbidden tree in the middle of the garden without being guarded by angels. Or, in fact, He didn't really need to put that tree in the garden of Eden so there wouldn't have any problems.
An opinion that says "God's will always comes to pass in our life" is wrong. Instead God says what man plans (or wills) shall come to pass (read Genesis 11:6; John 15:7). The fall of man into sin is not God's will. It's man's own choice.
This account proves that God can only lord over our life if we obey His Word. When we don't obey His Word, God cannot lord over our life. And when God doesn't lord, Satan does. Even though you don't worship idols or you're not a follower of devilish cult, when you don't obey God's Word your life is being ruled by Satan.
There's two powers in this earth: one is of God and the other is of Satan. God's power works according to the law of Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and Satan's power works according to law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). When we live according to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus we shall be made free from the law of sin and death. However it doesn't mean that the law of sin and death is vanished when we're born again.
Since the beginning at the garden of Eden man is given choices, life or death. Choose to eat the forbidden fruit or not to eat it. Unfortunately Adam chose death over life. The same choices were also given to the nation of Israel through Moses.
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee (Deuteronomy 28:15).
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil (Deuteronomy 30:15). I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy see may live (Deuteronomy 30:19).
God explains that there are choices in life that we must make. God wants us to choose abundant life by obeying His Word. Why? For in His Word there's path to a good life that He has prepared before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:10).
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ
Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined
(planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He
prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living
the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
(Ephesians. 2:10, The Amplified Bible).
God has prepared for us paths to a good life before the foundation of the world. If those paths have been set for us, then we should find out what they are.
When you got born again, confessing Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God sent His Holy Spirit to indwell our heart.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory. But it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God (1 Corinthians 2:7, 9-10, 12).
The Holy Spirit is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given us. However there is still many Christians who don't know that we can and should talk with the Holy Spirit. Why? So that He can reveal the hidden things and mystery that God has prepared for our glory before the foundation of the world. Will those things include paths of a good life written in Ephesians 2:10? Definitely!
So many Christians live the same kind of life that the heathen live, only because they don't know what God has prepared for them. They don't know it, let alone living it up. There are some who know what God has prepared for those in Christ Jesus but they can't receive it, so their life is exactly the same as those who are not in Christ Jesus.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).
According
as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue
(2
Peter 1:3).
The
Lord Jesus told us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness so that all that we
need, all that He has prepared for us may be added to us (Matthew 6:33).
He
also said that through His power, according to our knowledge of Him, God has
given us all that we need to live (2 Peter
1:3).
His Word also said that He sent His Word to heal us (Psalm 107:20; Proverbs 4:22).
That means the knowledge of God through His Word is important for us to find out the paths of a good life with no lack and no sickness and disease.
Proverbs 1-4 talks a lot about the importance of getting the wisdom of God and understanding the wisdom of God. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path (Proverbs 2:9).
To fulfill our destiny, there's no other way for us but to renew our mind with the Word of God so that we know the paths that God has prepared for us (Romans 12:2)