God's sovereignty and God's will
Based on the writings of Ellen White, God's sovereignty and will are foundational principles that govern the universe and human history. His sovereignty is absolute, yet it is always expressed through infinite love and for the ultimate good of His creation. ### God's Sovereignty Over History and Nations Ellen White describes God as the ultimate ruler over human affairs, even when it appears that human power is in control. His divine providence overrules all things to accomplish His purposes. * **The Unseen Hand in History:** "In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man; the shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, above, behind, and through all the play and counterplay of human interest and power and passions, the agencies of the All-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will." (PK 499.4) * **A Plan for Every Nation and Individual:** "To every nation and to every individual God has assigned a place in His great plan. Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes." (PK 536.2) ### The Nature of God's Sovereignty and Will God's sovereignty is not arbitrary but is an expression of His character of love. His will is for the blessing and redemption of all. * **An Expression of Infinite Love:** "Every manifestation of creative power is an expression of infinite love. The sovereignty of God involves fullness of blessing to all created beings." (PP 33.2) * **Justified Through Christ:** "Through Christ's redeeming work the government of God stands justified. The Omnipotent One is made known as the God of love. Satan's charges are refuted, and his character unveiled." (DA 26.2) * **Providential Care:** "Above the distractions of the earth He sits enthroned; all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best." (8T 272) ### Cooperation with God's Will While God is sovereign, He invites humanity to cooperate with His will. This cooperation empowers individuals and brings about His purposes. * **Omnipotence in Cooperation:** "As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings." (COL 333.1) * **Obedience Through Faith:** "God justly claims the love and obedience of all His creatures... Only by faith in Christ can the sinner be cleansed from guilt and be enabled to render obedience to the law of his Maker." (AA 425.1) * **The Need for Submission:** "If Israel would be wholly the Lord's, if the will of the human and earthly were held in subjection to the will of God, He would continue to be the Ruler of Israel." (PP 621.3)
A plan for my individual life?
Yes, based on the writings of Ellen White, God has a plan for every individual's life. This plan is personal, purposeful, and designed for our highest development. Here are some key points from her writings on this topic: * **A Definite Place for Everyone:** "To every nation and to every individual God has assigned a place in His great plan. Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake. All are by their own choice deciding their destiny, and God is overruling all for the accomplishment of His purposes." (PK 536.2) * **Seeing Our Potential:** "God looks into the tiny seed that He Himself has formed, and sees wrapped within it the beautiful flower, the shrub, or the lofty, wide-spreading tree. So does He see the possibilities in every human being. We are here for a purpose. God has given us His plan for our life, and He desires us to reach the highest standard of development." (MH 397.4) * **A Detailed History:** "In the book of God's providence, the volume of life, we are each given a page. That page contains every particular of our history; even the hairs of the head are numbered. God's children are never absent from His mind." (DA 313.3) * **A Call to Service:** A central part of God's plan for each person involves service and cooperation with Him. "All who are ordained unto the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. Their hearts will throb in unison with the heart of Christ. The same longing for souls that He has felt will be manifest in them. Not all can fill the same place in the work, but there is a place and a work for all." (COL 300.4) In essence, while God's sovereignty guides all of history, He has also crafted a specific and loving plan for you, seeing your unique potential and calling you to cooperate with Him for your own development and the good of others.
more quotes
Of course. Here are more quotes from Ellen White's writings on these topics. ### On God's Sovereignty and Will * "The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy beings, all waiting to do His will. Through these messengers He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. By His Spirit He is everywhere present. Through the agency of His Spirit and His angels He ministers to the children of men." (MH 417.2) * "God’s law is a transcript of His character. It is the embodiment of the principles of His kingdom. He whose heart is in harmony with its precepts is in harmony with the government of God. But the unrenewed heart is at enmity with the law of God; it is not subject to the law, neither indeed can be." (ST, October 26, 1882) * "In the great closing work we shall meet with perplexities that we know not how to deal with, but let us not forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel, and that God will bring His purposes to pass." (8T 254.3) * "But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe." (PP 68.2) ### On God's Plan for the Individual * "Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator—individuality, power to think and to do. The men in whom this power is developed are the men who bear responsibilities, who are leaders in enterprise, and who influence character. It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men's thought." (Ed 17.2) * "Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children. Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge." (Ed 18.3) * "Each has his part to act; to each is granted a measure of light, adapted to the necessities of his time, and sufficient to enable him to perform the work which God has given him to do." (GC 343.2) * "There is no person, no nation, that is perfect in every habit and thought. One must learn of another. Therefore God would have the different nationalities associate together, to be united in judgment and affection. Then the union that is in Christ will be exemplified." (9T 191.1)
not a single leaf falls
While that specific phrasing "not a single leaf falls to the ground" is not found in her writings, she expresses a very similar idea when speaking of God's meticulous care for His creation. She wrote: "There is nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself. No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life. There is no leaf of the forest, or lowly blade of grass, but has its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of life without which neither man nor animal could live; and man and animal, in turn, minister to the life of tree and shrub and leaf." (DA 20.2) She also emphasizes that nothing in creation is too small for God's attention: "Every drop of rain or flake of snow, every spire of grass, every leaf and flower and shrub, testifies of God. These little things so common around us teach the lesson that nothing is beneath the notice of the infinite God, nothing is too small for His attention." (8T 260.1)
God guides the planets
Yes, Ellen White wrote that God's power not only created the planets but also continues to guide and sustain them. She often connected this cosmic governance to His care for individual human lives. Here are some of her statements on this topic: * She directly states that God "directs the planets in their orderly course": "He who marshals the starry hosts in heaven, who directs the planets in their orderly course, can and will control the passions of His people." (18MR 329.3) * She connects the laws governing the cosmos with the laws governing human life, showing they originate from the same source: "The same power that upholds nature, is working also in man. The same great laws that guide alike the star and the atom, control human life. The laws that govern the heart's action, regulating the flow of the current of life to the body, are the laws of the mighty Intelligence that has the jurisdiction of the soul. From Him all life proceeds." (Ed 99.3) * In another place, she affirms this principle simply: "God has laws which govern the planets, and He has laws which govern the children of men. The Lord God of heaven is our Ruler." (Ms1-1890)
Note: Ellen Chat may generate unexpected or inaccurate responses. Please verify any quotes with original sources.

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