This question is very complex. We will begin by examining what the Bible does not say. Destiny is generally perceived as a sequence of predetermined events, beyond any human control.
Belief in this form of destiny leads to resignation: why fight if we can't change our fate anyway? What has to happen will happen, and we cannot change it. This worldview is called fatalism and is not biblical.
Fatalism is an important element of Islam, which demands total submission to the sovereignty of Allah. It is also very present in Hinduism and this is what keeps the caste system in place in India. Greek mythology speaks of the Parcas, the three goddesses of fate, who weave human destinies and whose decisions cannot be overturned or changed, not even by the other gods. Again, fatalism is not biblical.
Fate and Free Will
The Bible says that man was created with a moral conscience and that he is free and responsible for his choices. Man's fall was not predetermined, with Adam and Eve being merely helpless victims of a rope-pulling God: rather, they had to choose between obedience (which brings blessing) and disobedience (which brings the curse). They knew the consequences of their choice and were accountable to God (Genesis 3).
We find this theme of man's responsibility for his choices throughout the Scriptures. "Whoever sows injustice will reap misfortune." (Proverbs 22:8) "All work brings profit, but empty words only lead to misery." (Proverbs 14:23) "Do you want to not have to fear authority? Do good and you will have his approval. " (Romans 13.3)
When the Bible speaks of destiny, it often refers to the consequences of men's choices: "For many are behaving like enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is perdition." (Philippians 3:18-19 ) "As is their way, so is their folly. " (Psalm 49:13 )
"He who commits adultery with a woman lacks common sense. He wants to destroy himself who acts in this way. " (Proverbs 6:32) "Each one was judged according to his way of acting." (Revelation 20:13)
We chose to sin. We can't blame fate, predestination or God. James 1:13-14 says: "Let no one say, 'I am tempted by God,' when he is tempted; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But all are tempted when they are drawn away and moved by their own desires.
It is interesting that many people who decide to sin later regret the negative consequences of their sin. "It is the folly of man that perverts his way, but it is against the Lord that his heart is angry" (Proverbs 19.3).
This verse is very instructive: the man who wastes his life by his own bad choices persists in his folly by blaming God, or possibly fate.
The Bible also says that we choose to have faith, as shown by this commandment repeated many times in Scripture: "Do not disbelieve, but believe!" (John 20.27, see also Acts 16.31, 19.4).
Divine Sovereignty
We are not masters of our destiny: only God is sovereign. His total dominion over events is called Providence. He chose to give us free will and created a moral universe, governed by the law of cause and effect, but he alone is God and there are no "accidents" in the universe.
A wise and all-powerful God must have a plan. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Bible speaks of it. This plan is holy, wise and benevolent, like God himself. Divine providence carries out the original designs that he had for his creation.
God says in Isaiah 48:3: "Long ago I revealed the first events, they came out of my mouth and I announced them. Suddenly I acted and they happened. God fulfills what he announces (sometimes several centuries before).
A personal plan
God's sovereignty extends to our personal lives: he has a plan for each of us, as Jeremiah's call even before his birth shows: "The word of the Lord came to me, "Before I formed you in your mother's womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you, I appointed you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1.4-5)
David also knew that God had a plan for him. "I was still a shapeless mass, but his eyes saw me, and in his book were written all the days that were destined for me before any of them existed." (Psalm 139.16) This certainty enabled him to seek his will in several particular situations.
My name is Maria. I am passionate about theology and I have been writing about the religious world for 5 years. I am curious and research everything about the religions around the world. I love researching the curiosities that guide the most varied doctrines in different countries and languages. Today, I am an editor and love to share my knowledge on the portal Prayer and Faith.