Wonder at His Sovereignty

Like my most recent blog concerning God’s infinitude, when I look
at the sovereignty of God, this attribute can be just as mind
boggling. God rules the universe with total control and supreme
power. He is free from anything or anyone externally exerting
control over Him. He is free to do what He knows is best at all
times. For some of us, this is a hard concept to grasp. We believe
we are in control. In some way this is true. We do have a volitional
will that God has granted us to make choices, and God holds us
responsible for our choices. But make no mistake about it. God is
in control of everything that happens.

Many times in our lives we suffer, and when we do, we can often
think poorly about God’s decision-making. When we look around
at the world, we see tremendous devastation every day. It seems
like mass chaos at times. Just looking at the news headlines, we
see world leaders come and go daily, we see billions in poverty,
and we see relationships torn apart for no apparent reason. After
seeing these things, you would tend to conclude that God is good
sometimes and He is cruel other times.

As Christians, our words can sound shallow when we simply say
that God is sovereign; this is all for the best. But in all reality, that is
so true. As humans, we want a God that is manageable, but that is
simply not our call. God does not need our permission for
anything. We cannot ever fully explain this with our human
thinking, but scripture is very clear. Isaiah 45:6-7 says this: That
people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that
there is none besides me; I am the Lord and there is no other. I form
light and create darkness; I make well-being and I create calamity; I
am the Lord who does all things.

The Lord has put all the evidence out there for us to see and know
that He rules over all things. In this scripture, we see the nation of
Israel that is questioning God’s plan for them, and God has sent the
prophet Isaiah to set them straight. As we look at verse 7, it is hard
for us to see that an all-powerful God who no doubt loves us does
not keep us from suffering. As a matter of fact, not only does He

not keep us from it, He creates it! Ugh, what a proverbial punch in
the gut. That fact is so difficult for us as Christ followers to
understand. I know that I often feel as if I have to defend God
when bad things happen. This is where I remember the words of
R.C. Sproul when he says, “God does not need me.” And He
definitely does not need me to defend Him. The mystery for us is
that God has created a world in which we have the ability to
choose.
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For example, in Joshua 24:15, Joshua calls upon Israel to choose
this day whom you will serve. Yet we have an Adonai Yahweh that
has unlimited control over the universe. The only answer I can
come up with is the answer that scripture gives. Romans 8:28 says,
And we know that all things work for good to them that love God, to
them who are called according to his purpose. I trust that when
difficulty comes, I will come out more like my Savior Jesus Christ if
I am willing to face these troubles in submission to my sovereign
Lord.