Sovereignty
“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You… I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2, 5-6).
As we continue to look at the Attributes of God, we now focus on God’s Sovereignty. God is in control. He governs over all things and is over all. With God’s Sovereignty there is no such thing as luck or chance.
Knowing God is sovereign means we can trust Him with our circumstance – whether good or bad. But many people might say that if God is in control and sovereign, why do bad things happen? Doesn’t God care?
The truth is God does care and He loves you. We can look at the book of Job to examine God’s Sovereignty and suffering. If God allows suffering there may be a reason.
Think of Job. The Bible says that Job suddenly lost all of his wealth and his children. Job didn’t realize it, but God allowed Satan to afflict him. The devil said to God, “If You take all those possessions away from him, he’ll curse You and turn from You.” But God replied, “You can do anything to him, except you can’t kill him, and then we’ll see” (Job 1:11-12).
Job never asked why those things were happening to him. The closest he ever came was when he said, “”Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked?” (Job 10:2-3) Job was sharing his deep agony with the very God he could not understand.
There are many mysteries that we may never understand about God. Suffering carries a message of mystery. The Bible says, “Great is the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16).
While there are many mysteries we may not understand, God has revealed many answers through the Bible and through His Son, Jesus Christ. And if we study suffering, we must recognize that God allowed His own Son to suffer death on a cross to save us from all of our sins (Hebrews 5:8).
We need to remember that we live in a world that’s been corrupted by sin, and is also under the evil influence of Satan. By His death and resurrection Jesus Christ broke Satan’s power, but death is still with us, and only at the end of time as we know it will Satan be completely bound.
When we are overwhelmed by life’s problems and worries, we can rest in God’s Sovereignty and know He is in control. He is sovereign and loving, and He knows what’s best for us, even if we can’t see it at the time.
A favorite verse of many people is, “And we know that God causes everything to work togetherfor the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28, NLT).
God is Sovereign. The key word in this passage is “causes.” He is ruler over all that He has created. No matter how difficult things get, no matter how many challenges we face or things go wrong, God causes everything to work together for good.
What should this mean for us?
It means we can trust God—trust Him with our lives right now, and trust Him for eternity.
Is your faith and trust in Christ?
In the end, Job stopped questioning God, because he embraced the Sovereignty of God. Job trusted God. It’s a lesson for us too today – we should trust God as well – no matter what.
“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. . . . I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:2, 5-6).
PRAYER: Father, we thank You that You are Sovereign. You are in control. It’s so hard for us at times to grasp or understand that, so today, we let go of any worries that may be weighing us down. Your Sovereignty is our comfort when life does not go the way we planned or expected, but just like Job help us to trust You no matter what. For You are loving and You do have our best interests at heart. Help us to trust you more as You are King and the Lord of all the earth. Thank You for loving us, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
No matter what you are going through today, know I’m praying for you that God will comfort you. Rest in His Sovereignty and know He is in control.
Christine Batchelder