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God Is Sovereign: Part I

During these days of uncertainty, we want to provide you with some messages of hope. We want to remind you that God loves you, God cares for you, and God has not forgotten you.

There is not one single moment that these statements about God are untrue. One reason you can be certain of this is because our God, the one true God, is sovereign.

Now “God is sovereign” is often said by Christians to describe an important truth about the one true God. But what does it mean? This is particularly important for Christians to grasp in times of uncertainty, fear, and confusion – times that seem absolutely out of control.

With the numbers of those affected by this virus changes daily, with leaders in different spheres of responsibility adjusting their decisions and rules of living daily, and with personal and family stresses mounting, “out of control” may seem to be our reality. But the truth is, the confession God is sovereign means that God has been and always is in complete control of every creature and every moment in all of His creation.

Today, let’s drill down a bit to see how we can know that God is in complete control. Let’s consider what the Bible says about the realms that God governs:

1. God is sovereign over the entire universe. Genesis 1 tells us that God created everything, out of nothing, that exists. Fashioned by God’s will and God’s design, everything that exists is subject to His active, unceasing, powerful, and personal control.

2. God is sovereign over all events. If you were to read the Bible from cover to cover with the thought “God is sovereign” in mind, you would see evidence of God’s sovereign will and work. He moves rulers, armies, nations, and even nature to accomplish his will. His pronouncements through the prophets of future events are proven to be true. The opening of the Scriptures (Genesis) reminds us that God created purposefully, and the closing (Revelation) lovingly instructs us that God will accomplish his eternal, perfect, wise, just, good plan, that which is being orchestrated through every moment and event of history.

Christian, as you read, you will become aware that nothing in the history of God’s creation – not even the myriads of effects spinning out of the current pandemic – has escaped God’s control. While rulers and leaders are struggling to determine how to respond, every moment, every event, and every decision is happening – no matter how tragic – is occurring under God’s perfect, just, merciful, and beneficent control.

3. God is sovereign over your life. Psalm 139 narrates the writer’s discovery of this truth, culminating with the declaration that before one day of his life began, all of his days were known (verse 16). God knows the precise number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30). Jesus reminds us in our moments asking “what will happen next?” that the Father knows and cares for every tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-34). And remember, Christian, God the Father has completely secured your future through the work of His Son and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3-14).

Let’s seek to apply this truth, God is sovereign, in a practical way. Start with a morning prayer:

  • Do you have food for today? Be thankful that God has provided your daily bread.
  • Have your sins been forgiven through Jesus Christ?  Be thankful that your greatest need, to be an adopted child of the God who is sovereign, has been met.
  • Can you think of any other ways God has blessed you? Express thanks for each one, that the God who is sovereign knows and has provided what you have needed. 
  • Do you have any worries or fears of any kind?  Share them honestly with the God who is sovereign and who can bring you peace because he alone knows tomorrow and he alone governs everything in existence.
  • Do you know someone who is anxious and fearful and needs encouragement? Pray for them and share with them the encouraging truth that the God who is sovereign cares for them.

Then, throughout the day, when moments of change, stress, or worry burst in, go back to this prayer. And know that we are praying for you.

Today, may the Lord bless you and protect you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you. (Numbers 6:24-26; 2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Dr. Gary Cook

Gary serves GracePoint Church as a Pastor-Elder under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Along with the other Pastor-Elders, he shepherds the congregation and leads the church towards a biblical vision.
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