With all due respect to A.W. Tozer, he's simply wrong. Where his analogy breaks down is people are not set adrift to some destination with no control over what they will do. There is no sovereignty in that. (While heading for NY will God protect you on the shuffleboard course?)
And this is NOT what Psalms 23 states. The Lord is my shepherd. He make me lie down... He leads me besides still waters... He restores me... He leads me into righteousness... Honestly, I wonder if people really think about what Psalms 23 actually means. Do people think they just board a cruise ship and off they go? This isn't the Love Boat.
Here is a better example not from Tozer but from God:
Jon 1:1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
GOD'S WILL FOR JONAH-Jon 1:2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me."
JONAH'S "FREE" WILL-Jon 1:3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
Jon 1:4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
...
SAILORS "FREE WILL" CHOICE FOR JONAH-Jon 1:13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.
OOPS-CHANGE THEIR MINDS-SAILORS' "FREE" WILL CHOICE FOR GOD-Jon 1:14 Therefore they called out to the LORD, "O LORD, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you."
Jon 1:15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
...
GOD'S CHOICE FOR THE FISH-Jon 1:17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
...
OOPS-JONAH HAS A CHANGE OF HEART- Jon 2:10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
...
GOD'S CHOICE FOR JONAH (STILL THE SAME)- Jon 3:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,
Jon 3:2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you."
JONAH'S DECIDES (GRUDGINGLY) TO DO GOD'S WILL- Jon 3:3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth.
Under the "free will" paradigm this story would make no sense. Once Jonah decided to go to Tarshish that would be that. Jonah's activities most assuredly were determine by decree and not only did Jonah know it but so did the people who threw him overboard.
We know Jonah's "choice" and God's "choice". God has a way of convincing His people to do what He wants done. Our choice is how do we want to smell after we get there.
And this is a recurring theme of scripture...
Dan 4:34-25 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"
But, as Nebuchadnezzar points out, one only understands this when their reason returns. ;O)
Harley,
The whole story of Jonah builds up God giving the stubborn Jonah many free choices to follow His will and Jonah did not. Finally the stubborn Jonah went into Nineveh when he decided to freely follow God’s will.
Mary on the other hand freely followed the Will of God perfectly!