Audie: Where do you see "random" leaving off, and a steering hand taking over?
Atomic vibration? Can you think of any way that order emerges from chaos,
thro' random processes? Could one predict a beautiful waterfall from random raindrops? Would it have to be planned, in detail or in general?
God designed physics,chemistry, biology, and the universe's mechanisms to function with great specicifity, and according to parameters He so desired. He has created and has control over how the governing laws function, and yet can interrupt those laws as per whatever purposes He might have, in a given moment. And, is this not what we see, tremendous, mind-blowing consistency in how things operate, and yet, we also see great awesome beauty across the world and universe, despite their many precise mechanisms. In fact, without this incredible consistency as to how things operate and interact, we could not depend upon the scientific method to give us reliable or consistent results. So, if you admit to the levels, even at the microscopic and sub-atomic ones, of complete consistency of function, across countless parameters and mechanisms, and yet still perceive great beauty, then what you might call random is anything but that - well, there just is no conflict - fixed parameters can CONTAIN considerable variability and also produce great beauty!
Do not atmospheric conditions obey the parameters of complex but consistent, and within well-known variabilities long documented by scientists? Of course! But is the weather, within known parameters, always the same? Ever seen two identical clouds? And, yet, while the PARAMETERS have great consistency within long-documented and data-driven observations and studies, there is, nonetheless, great variabilty possible WITHIN those same locked and consistent parameters.
God's consistent algorhythms governing mechanisms can produce great variability, but He can also micromanage/interrupt an otherwise specific/typical functionality of a mechanism, per His immediate purposes of a given moment. Of course, as HE created and designed the mechanism's functionality to begin with, as well as the entity or thing that is otherwise controlled by His governing laws, then He has authority and ability over all.
Now, does God not give us free will? Yes! But can I fly or walk through walls? Course not! Does God choose what color of socks I put on in the morning? Typically, no - unless He might have some rare but key purpose to influence MY decision. Can God not use others, and ALL parameters He controls, so as to influence the free-will decisions we make? Of course! He intimately knows our hearts, minds, and motivations. And He has total control over the range of choices we're ALLOWED, per His purposes, at any given moment. He knows that a person, with key self motivations, beliefs and attitudes, and so presented specific choices, will freely choose precisely per His purposes and desired outcomes. While the choices are freely made, nonetheless, God powerfully controls and knows all parameters, so as the achieve the results of His purposes. And, if we could not freely choose our own sinful actions, then God could not righteously accuse us of sinning, as the sin would not be OUR choice.
So, make no mistake, God is in no way hampered by our free-will choices. And He creates great beauty out of HIS stupendously precise mechanisms and their consistency of operation, FUNCTIONALITY, and interactivity - and even though there can be considerable variation found WITHIN their locked PARAMETERS, those are fixed and incredibly consistent, unless God ever desires to momentarily interrupt them. Far more typically, things function and operate just as they were originally designed to.
