Editor's Note: Use the following analogy to illustrate how God has a much larger and wiser plan (that we may not understand) for the way he rules the world and guides our lives:

Think of it this way: A basketball coach could call a time-out for any number of reasons at any different point in a ball game. He might see a flaw in the opponent's defense, for example, that he thinks his team could exploit with a hastily designed play. He might want to stop a flurry of momentum or a hot hand by one of the opposing players. He might use it to try icing a free-throw shooter. He might use it to stop the clock near the end of the half or regulation. He might use it to force an instant-replay review of a questionable call by the officials.

That's six different options right there. And they're all determined not by fixed logarithms but by the flow of the game, the nature of the opponent, the time left on the shot clock or the game clock—any of these factors and many others could dictate his purpose in asking for a stoppage in play. Plus it's all dictated by the coach's unique, personal knowledge of his players, his awareness of what each of them can do, what makes them perform best, what puts them in the best position to win the game.

Why must God's decisions for our lives be any different?

Possible Preaching Angles: God, Sovereignty of; Sovereignty—Real life is much more complex than a basketball game, but this illustration can show how a wise "coach" can make good decisions that we may or may not understand. Of course there is one crucial difference: basketball coaches make mistakes; God doesn't.