God's Sovereignty

Pause:

Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus. 

Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.

Read:

Psalms 103v19: “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Isaiah 46v9-10: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”

Ephesians 1v11: “I work all things according to the counsel of my will.”

Going Deeper:

I was chosen as a prefect (or student leader) at my High School in Grade 12. And all of a sudden, as I put on my blue prefect’s tie, I had new power and authority within the boundaries of Kloof High School. 

I could send people to detention, give students punishment, and had a new level or respect and awe (at least from the younger students of the school).

I remember walking into a bathroom during lunch break one day, and walking straight into three boys who were busy smoking (which was not allowed in the school). And as soon as they saw my blue tie, they realized that they were in big trouble. You’ve never seen people look so guilty, go so pale, move so quickly, or apologise so profusely. 

When we talk about God’s sovereignty, we are talking about His “supreme power or authority.” God is Lord and King, and He rules and reigns over all things. Not just Churches and Angels. But Kings, Industries, Planets, Solar Systems, and ultimately everything that exists.

In the movie, The Lion King, Mufasa shows his son Simba - in a significant father / son, current King / future King moment - that “Everything the light touches is our Kingdom.” Simba replies with “Wow.” It was clearly a lot to take in for a young lion prince.

But then Simba points to a shadowy area that He can see, and asks about that? To which Mufasa replies and says: “That’s beyond our borders.” 

It’s a sweet scene in the movie. But it points to a bigger truth. For Kings, presidents and leaders in our world, their authority or leadership only stretches so far, and their time leading will only be so long. But for God, He rules and reigns over everything, for all time. Nothing is beyond His borders, authority or control. 

God’s Sovereignty means that there is nothing, and no one above Him. He is far higher up the organizational chart of the universe than anyone or anything else. God is in a category all of His own when it comes to greatness, power, authority, wisdom, knowledge – and all things.

And not only is God the boss, but His sovereignty also means that He is in control of all things. God doesn’t just have the authority to call the shots and make important decisions. But, His sovereignty also means that nothing is able to happen unless He allows it. 

Now, we are walking through a time where we could ask many questions in light of this. Questions like: “Why God? Why if you are Sovereign have you allowed this to happen? Why are you allowing me to go through this, if you are in control of everything?”

And these are not just theological or philosophical questions. These are deeply personal questions to process.

So, if you are wrestling with questions like these at the moment, I want to encourage you to process them both with God in prayer, and together with a godly leader or friend. There are good resources and good answers available to these questions out there. But beyond the answers, by looking to the Cross and seeing that God himself has suffered – Giving His only son to die an unjust death for us on the Cross. Jesus being infected by the deadly disease of sin, for us – shows us at least that when we suffer we can know that we are not alone. And that God understands and can empathise with us, because He Himself has been through great suffering and He knows what suffering feels like.

As we wrestle with personal and global suffering, trials, injustice and hardships at this time, one thing we know for sure, is that God loves us and that God is bigger than our problems.

We know that the problems we face, even though they might feel like insurmountable challenges, are all subject to God’s power and rule. Which means that even when so much is out of our control, that we can rest – even in the midst of the most dangerous storms - knowing that God is in control, and that He is good.

And we can trust, that even through the deepest possible challenges we face, that God is ultimately working the situation we are in together for His purposes and our good (Ephesians 1v11, Romans 8v28).

Pray:

Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.

Listen:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?
 
Apply:

What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?