God and What Could Have Been

This message wrestles with one of Christianity's most perplexing questions: How do God's sovereignty and human choice work together? Through the story of David at Keilah in 1 Samuel 23, we encounter something remarkable—God tells David that Saul will come down and the men will surrender him, yet when David acts on this information and flees, none of it happens. This isn't the only biblical example. Jonah proclaims Nineveh's destruction in 40 days, but their repentance changes God's mind. Jeremiah presents King Zedekiah with two futures depending on his choice. Jesus reveals that Sodom would have repented if they'd seen His miracles. These passages reveal a God far greater than one who merely scripts every detail from eternity past. Instead, we encounter a God of infinite intelligence who knows not just what will happen, but what would happen under every possible circumstance—every counterfactual, every alternative choice, every combination of human decisions. This isn't a God we can fully comprehend with theological systems, but one we must worship in wonder. The practical implication is profound: our choices genuinely matter, yet God remains sovereign over all outcomes. We're called not to understand everything, but to trust like children, making faithful choices today while leaving the cosmic complexity to the One whose mind is infinitely greater than ours.