“Cheer up, Christian! Things are not left to chance: no blind fate rules the world. God hath purposes, and those purposes are fulfilled. God hath plans, and those plans are wise, and never can be dislocated.” - Charles Spurgeon What comes to mind when you think about God’s sovereignty? For the most part, we tend to agree that God is fully in charge; supremely, powerfully, and authoritatively.
The doctrine of the sovereignty of God basically teaches that everything that occurs in heaven and earth purposely happens according to God’s plan. If you follow this, it's saying that whatever happens has already been ordained by Him. All of the details have been worked out beforehand from eternity (Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:4).
Naturally, this ties in with God being omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Although, there is one sticking point of disagreement. This has to do with the amount of control God has over us; where or when it comes into play, and is it direct or indirect. You can see why some would differ on this.
Nonetheless, if we need a little clarification on this topic, we can always turn to the best resource there is: the Bible. For example, it tells us that God is all-powerful and all-knowing (Psalm 147:5); has always been (Exodus 3:14; Psalm 90:2); and is the source of all creation (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1).
Even these few examples of God's divine traits demonstrate that God truly is in control of the universe. There is nothing that surprises Him. And, anything that happens does so with his permission, and by his choice. God has the capacity to do anything, take action, and even alter the course of events, if He so desires.
With all of this infinite power at his disposal, many wonder why He would allow certain things to happen, and others to not. There is no easy answer to this, primarily because we do not know the mind of God (Isaiah 55:8-9). Many times God opts to act indirectly or permits certain things for reasons only He knows. In any case, His will is extended.
As we close this week, when we talk about God's sovereignty we acknowledge that He is in total control and unlimited in His supremacy. This retains its truth even if certain, specific matters aren't what He would have chosen.
God's right to permit us to have free choices, and His ability to accomplish His will, wherever and however He sees fit, are crucial for true sovereignty. In addition to this, His sovereign will and intentions are resolute, that is, they are unwavering (Psalm 35:11).
What this means for us is that we have a caring, kind, merciful, and gracious God who loves us deeply. And, though there are times when we question His will or decision, He does what He does, or not, according to His great design for us; which is known only to Him, and Him alone.
Scripture: Psalm 115:3; Job 42:2; Proverbs 19:21; Lamentations 3:37; Isaiah 45:7
Prayer: O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. - 2 Chronicles 20:6
May your weekend be blessed!
Bibi
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