Who is God? Pro-Life, Author of Destiny, Master Editor, Expert of Emends

Sometimes I think one reason God let Adam and Eve live after their epic failure at “The Tree” is that He really didn’t want to miss all the laughs He’d have watching their offspring. At nine years old, I managed not only to sport a mullet but a perm-mullet. I still have my 7th-grade softball team photo where I was the only genius in the back row who tucked in her jersey - so much so that the waist of my white shorts perched mere inches from my armpits. And on to the high school years – remember the banana clip? I thought I was cool by wearing it high on my head. Finally, a concerned friend whispered to me in Social Studies class, “It looks like a mohawk.” (Thank you, Cynthia!) Despite disastrous 80’s hairstyles and clothes, I know I am loved by God, and I’m confident I provided Him some good laughs (with more to come). I have worked through many teen self-esteem issues and am now confident in Christ. I am unapologetically against abortion. However, I always paused when pro-life organizations used the words of King David in Psalm 139 to make the case to end slaughter in the womb. Verses 13-16 (NIV) says:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

My heart shouts “YES,” but then my brain interjects, “Wait…isn’t this just for King David? Now HE was important. Surely God knew him in the womb and wrote about his days in “The Book.” But perm-mullet me? I’m a nobody. What about the average “everyone else”?

King David…and Me?

To question if Almighty God, the author of life, is “pro-life” seems pointless. As my husband jokingly asks, “Is the pope Catholic?” But for everyone, is He really? Post-banana-clip years, I’ve become an avid news reader, and I don’t have to tell anyone reading this that the world is a disastrous mess. On December 1, 2021, I listened to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case presented to the US Supreme Court. As many Christians surrounded the courthouse to pray, those vehemently opposed to any limits on abortion stood resolute. While browsing news sites, I saw a photograph of four women standing in front of a sign that read, “We Are Taking Abortion Pills Forever.” As the site reported, “Amelia Bonow, Alana Edmondson, Aiyana Knauer, and Erin Jorgensen swallowed the mifepristone in front of a black banner.” (1)

OK God…SO, am I to believe alongside THE King David that Amelia, Alana, Aiyana, Erin, and for that matter myself that “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be”? And what about “all-in-for-evil” dictators, despots, and criminals who gleefully implemented hell’s plans on earth? God, did you have a good and perfect original intent for their lives that they chose not to follow? Do all babies in the womb have a soul/spirit/destiny/purpose…or not? Or do only a select few? (Note: I am certain it is NEVER God’s will for a woman - or tragically a young girl - to become pregnant through rape. Please know this evil act is NEVER in His original plan. Keep reading, and I’ll explain further.)

Impossible? or Plausible

One day I was finally fed up with wondering, so I simply asked God, “Do You have a divine plan for everyone in the womb or just the ‘King Davids’ of the world?” I can only tell you what I believe I heard in my spirit. I could be wrong. I think it is a very serious matter for anyone to claim they heard from God. Those words must be tested through a refiner’s fire of God’s Word (scripture), truth, wisdom, and discernment. God’s “answer” I sensed in my spirit was not what I was expecting to hear:

“Which is harder?”

And if God, THE King of Kings, THE Lord of Angel Armies, THE Great I AM, asks YOU if something is too hard for HIM, what can you say? I had to admit it is harder to design a destiny for billions and trillions versus 100 or 1000. Yet, if anyone can do the “more difficult,” is it not THE Creator?

Armed with greater clarity, I continued to search scripture. God will never speak anything that contradicts His word. Jesus’ birth was foretold many times in scripture, and King David’s words are why I’m plagued with ponder. Nonetheless, who else “in the womb” was written about? Here is a list I compiled (if I have missed anyone, please let me know):

John the Baptist (Luke 1:13) …your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son…call his name John. Isaac (Genesis 17:19) …Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac… Ishmael (Genesis 16:11) …you are with child, And you shall bear a son…call his name Ishmael… Josiah (1 Kings 13:2) …a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David… Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-5) …Before I formed you in the womb I knew you… Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:9) …a son shall be born to you…His name shall be Solomon… Paul (Galatians 1:15) But when God, who had chosen me and set me apart before I was born… Israel as a Nation (Isaiah 49:1) The Lord has called Me from the womb… – I’m assuming verse 1 is about the nation of Israel because of the reference in Isaiah 49:3. But this is open to interpretation. Biblehub.com has some great commentary for various viewpoints. Also, Israel as a nation is referred to as “formed from the womb” in Isaiah 44:2,24 Isaiah (Isaiah 49:5) …who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant…– I believe Isaiah is referring to himself here, but this is open to interpretation. Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:21-23) …Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived… Two nations are in your womb… Samuel (1 Samuel 1: 17, 19-20) …the Lord remembered her…Hannah conceived and bore a son… Samuel’s birth was not foretold, but it must be noted that “the Lord remembered” Hannah’s prayer/petition and enabled her to conceive. The word “remember” is the same Hebrew word used in Genesis 8:1 where God said He “remembered” Noah and every living thing on the ark. Samson (Judges 13:2-5) …Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman…you shall conceive and bear a son. Son of a Shunem woman (2 Kings 4:16) Then he (Elisha) said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” Man Born Blind (John 9:2-3 NLT) ...why was this man born blind?...It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him." Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (Isaiah 8:1-4) …the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz… In verse 1, God instructs Isaiah to write “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” on a large scroll. It is after this that Isaiah and “the prophetess” have a son, and God then instructs him to name the boy this odd name – but it was for a purpose! The name literally means “Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Booty” and would be a sign to the people of the Word of the Lord who said, “…before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.” Job’s Servants (Job 31:13-15 NKJV) These verses, out of all listed above, may be the most compelling proof that God does indeed create destinies for everyone. The “man born blind” and “son of a Shunem woman” are not even named, yet their lives still had an impact as scripture records. Here we see simply “servants” as still “fashioned in the womb!” “If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant when they complained against me, what then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?” And the words “made” and “make” in the original Hebrew language is “asah,” and this same word is used frequently in Genesis, for example, Genesis 1:16, where God made (asah) two great lights - as in the sun and moon!

While this is an impressive list, I can’t help but question who is NOT there: What about Moses, Elijah, Peter, Esther, Ruth, Mary, and other greats? I don’t see anything in scripture where their birth was spoken of, yet clearly, God used them in astounding and world-changing ways. If these types of destinies are not documented on paper, I believe somewhere in the heavenlies, God has His own records, as Psalm 139:16 indicates. Is there a verdict yet? I feel these examples surely stamp a hearty “plausible” to “God designs a destiny and purpose for everyone.” Still, my heart continues to search. Did God really mean everyone? That’s a LOT of people since creation.

Conception of an Exception?

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., in his work “Medical Essays” (first published 1883), wrote, “The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.” No matter how sturdy “the rule,” most agree there are always exceptions. Is this the case here? I began to ponder the references in scripture where God allowed for, even called for, the destruction of children:

For the first example, we need look no further than the 7th chapter of Genesis and the account of “The Flood”: …the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth, rising more than twenty-two feetabove the highest peaks. All the living things on earth died—birds, domestic animals, wild animals, small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people. Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. God wiped out every living thing on the earth… (Genesis 7:19-23, NLT) Yes, “every living thing on the earth” included human babies.

Next, let’s examine the “Passover” in Exodus 12:29-30, NKJV (“firstborn” included adults and children of all ages): And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

In Numbers 31, by the command of the Lord, Moses sent the Israelites to “take vengeance” on the Midianites. The Israelites did so, but (vs 9) “…the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones…”. This sounds like compassion, but Moses was not happy (vs 14-17, NKJV). And God did not rebuke him for his instructions, so we must conclude Moses and the Lord were in alignment: But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.

Probably the most glaring example of God calling for infanticide comes from the mouth of His prophet Samuel: 1 Samuel 15: 1-3 (NKJV) Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’

Confused yet? The last example concerning “infanticide” I’ll note is God’s thoughts concerning a fake deity named “Molech.” This “god” was one of the deities that the Ammon people worshiped. The sacrifices this false god required were as disgusting as it gets: human babies. Did God care that these wicked people murdered their own children? What God did say was that it was an “abomination” and any Israelite or those living among them who participated in this practice must be put to death:

Leviticus 18:21 (NLT): “Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the Lord.”

Leviticus 20:2-3 (NLT): “Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel. “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death. I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech.”

Jeremiah 32:35 (NLT): “They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing. What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly!”

As I studied scripture further, I began to understand that God, in His wisdom, did not give me a simple “yes or no” answer to my “destiny and purpose for everyone?” question. Maybe there is more to the answer. My petition to the Lord was (and still is) “keep teaching me.” The phrase I kept coming back to in my spirit was Tipping Point. Are there really “exception conceptions,” or, as I felt Holy Spirit lead, are there times when wickedness has reached such a level that a tipping point occurs when God alone must step in and forbid life to continue? Ezekiel 33:11 assures us such judgment is not pleasant or desired by Him (’As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.’) His will is for ALL to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4, “…God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”). Despite the consequences, God created humans with the ability to make their own decisions – good or bad. He wants family, not robots. Many times, God’s ways are more complicated than Yes or No.

He is God of the Spirits of ALL

Sometimes it’s nice for an uncomplicated question: Does over-cooked, deflated, or burnt homemade bread begin in my kitchen? That would be a resounding YES. But what about this: Does life begin in the womb? Is human “life” really in the body – a beating heart, brain waves, or oxygen flowing in and out of lungs…or in the spirit of a human? Jesus said in John 6:63 (NIV), “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing…” In season 1, episode 7 of “The Chosen” series, producers beautifully portray the character of Nicodemus. I love watching the actors re-create the powerful exchange where Nicodemus struggles to understand Jesus’ words, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) “Born of water” was easy for Nicodemus to understand. He knew Jesus was referring to the natural birth of a baby. However, “born of Spirit” threw Nicodemus into confusion even though this wasn’t a new concept, even for scholars like him. Numbers 16:22 refers to God as “God of the spirits of all flesh.”

All

Not the “VIPs” or a “select few,” but all flesh. Interesting. In Numbers 27:16, Moses uses the same title: “the God of the spirits of all flesh.” In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews chides, “Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?” (Hebrews 12:9, NKJV) Our individual destiny and purpose can’t possibly be linked to “flesh,” such as a hand, lung, heart, or leg, but only to our soul/spirit. So, when do we receive our spirit? At conception? If not at conception, then when? Scripture is clear that some individuals were written about before conception.

Jesus Saves for Today and Tomorrow

One morning as I was thinking of Jesus’ life on earth and how He healed and even raised some from the dead, I began to sense Holy Spirit instructing me that everyone Jesus rescued/healed was not because they just happened to be “at the right place at the right time,” but these divine encounters were part of Heaven’s strategy. The following is what I believe Holy Spirit led me to write. I submit it for review, prayer, and scrutiny. If this does not hold up to wisdom, discernment, and God’s Word, I will be the first to reject it. It is a serious matter to claim “The Lord says…” so humbly and “at the ready to delete” here is what I sensed Holy Spirit teaching me:

“When I walked the earth and healed or cast out demons, I not only rescued for the individual standing or laying in front of Me – I saw…I saw the unborn still yet to be hanging in the balance because of the stricken one. I also saw the impact for My Kingdom the afflicted one would make and souls they would touch. I save LIVES, not just one life. I see generations beyond the moment - children destined to be born that will accomplish My will, souls that will be transformed by a testimony of My Mercy. I look beyond today and see the tomorrows. I see farther than you can imagine. Do you really understand what the devil can destroy by snuffing out just one life? Do you know what I can truly accomplish and restore by saving just one life?

I submit to you that the “God of the spirits of all flesh” is the only One qualified to determine if a rare “tipping point” of evil has occurred in a people group where life must be halted. His ways are to restore, forgive, save and renew! In the references I listed on infanticide, undoubtedly, this was not in God’s original plan. And I am also very certain rape is never in His original, perfect will. His way and His character do not call for children to be born into inescapable poverty and misery. What about people born with severe handicaps? Is God’s divine pen still at work? Is our spirit and destiny linked to how we are conceived or how our physical bodies are formed?

God is in Charge but not in Control

The following statement (not my original thought) may cause you to turn off your computer or smartphone (or if you have a printed copy of this article, chuck it in the garbage), but I’ll type it out anyway: God is in charge, but He’s not in control. Blasphemy? Heresy? Consider this: If God is in total control of everything on earth, names such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Zedong would be unheard of. Every evil act, wicked scheme, and “all things hell related” (including rape) would be thwarted in a world where Immanuel, God with us, is in total control. Being “in charge” and “in control” may seem very similar, but, as Denise Edwards (comeministry.org, used with permission), a powerful intercessor, always says, “Jesus tossed us the keys on the way up.”

For God’s good and perfect will to manifest on earth, it is up to His children, working with Him, to make it happen. In an episode of the show M.A.S.H., the character Father Mulcahy’s words (I have no idea who wrote these in the script) delivered surprising truth: “God didn’t put us here for that pat on the back. He created us so He could be here Himself. So He could exist in the lives of those He created, in His image.” When evil prevails, I submit to you it is NOT because God desires that outcome, but because of a “fallen” world full of sin (“the wages of sin is death,” Romans 6:23) and an “asleep” Church that worries more about coffee and doughnuts in the foyer, money, buildings, wokeness, programs, and sound systems instead of walking the earth as Jesus did. First John 2:6 is clear: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” (NLT)

Look to the Cross

If sin and an impotent Church are two major roadblocks (I’m no scholar. There are others, but I believe these are the two most important) restricting God’s good and perfect will on earth, does that cause Him to pass on “destiny and purpose plans” for some? Until Holy Spirit provides a definitive answer, I can only look at who God is and determine what His character reveals. Many Bible verses could be referenced here, but I think simply looking no further than the Cross probably gives us the best clue. Jesus allowed Himself to suffer an unimaginable and brutal death to conquer sin’s effects and birth “the Church.” So, in the face of sin and an immature Church, would God sometimes lay down His “divine pen”? Only He can truly answer that. I don’t know about you, but I fear God. I love Him, but I stand in great awe and respect of Him. If there is even a slight chance that He designs destiny and purpose for everyone, then I cannot support abortion that cuts short a physical life and spiritual life – a life that He possibly designed great purpose for! I do not doubt in my mind that God IS pro-life! And therefore, I must be as well.

Purpose and Destiny for the Unborn AND You

I admit there may be “holes” in my “not-a-Bible-scholar” reasoning. I realize the never-ending argument about life in the womb will rage until the earth is no more. And some of you are thinking, Yeah, pro-life - easy for you to say! You may be right. I have never faced the choice of abortion. But I am not naïve. As a caregiver for my mom with Alzheimer’s disease, in frustration (sometimes mixed with downright bitterness and anger), I wonder how long will the life in her keep devouring mine. I know this sounds callous, but it isn’t easy looking into the tear-stained eyes of my 11-year-old daughter, knowing she needs me, and I must push her to the side because my mom can’t function without help. I despise having to cut short conversations with my 16-year-old son or cancel special trips we have planned because of my mother. (Please know I do love my mom. Only those who are full-time caregivers of people with dementia will understand the roller-coaster of emotions.) Many days I feel exasperated because there is only one of me to meet the needs of everyone. Words form deep in my soul mirroring those from abortion advocates: burden, inconvenient, hardship, struggle, distress, career-destroying, suffering, difficult, oppression, unfair. Family and friends who rarely spend time with my mom see my usual disheveled self and wonder, “Is it really that difficult?” I’ll answer that: Is the pope Catholic?

I understand many abortion defenders will never relinquish their beliefs. I get it; maintaining life for another human being, whether he or she is an infant or senior, can be unimaginably hard. (And you cannot convince me that God hasn’t reserved the best of heaven for those who have faith in Him and spend their lives caring for children or loved ones born with a lifelong, crippling disability.) But, if you are willing to consider “God designs a destiny and purpose for everyone,” remember: This also means YOU. The Lord of All who cares about unborn babies is no less concerned for the lives of mothers and fathers. Much to my dislike, God is using this time of caregiving to test me and refine my character. I am MUCH more patient. I have no choice; I must be. I hate waiting. I wait A LOT now. God is building in me a strength, endurance, courage, faith, and grit I never thought possible. Daily I feel burned by the refiner’s fire, but when God refines, we “come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

Oh, how all of us, me included, have screwed up our “book plans” – God’s original plan for our lives. My choices and the choices of others have steered me away from the path of His divine writings. Nonetheless, I’m reminded by Holy Spirit that master authors are also extremely gifted in editing! God is “Master Editor”! Made a mess of your life? He is "Expert of Emends." No matter what situation you are in, especially concerning an unwanted pregnancy, if you place your complete faith in Him, He WILL re-write your story with purpose and destiny. God is Life. For you. For babies. For the elderly. For all.

(1) https://jezebel.com/activists-swallowed-abortion-pills-on-steps-of-the-supr-1848143679

PS…God isn’t limited to just cleaning up chaos. It’s obvious not all of us have destines like George Washington. Our original book plans may not be filled with exciting, nation-altering words. But if His editor’s pen can go to work when we goof up, can it not do the same for those who choose to surrender to Him fully (nothing held back) and walk in fearless faith? His pen is at the ready to add greater things!

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