Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south. Zechariah 9:14
Two brothers are scuffling in a disagreement. Down on the floor they tumble, fists flailing. Soon enough, the older brother manages to end up on top of the younger brother, who wails, “You’re not the boss of me!” And, it’s true. Mom or Dad is the real boss. Hopefully we have long ago abandoned tussles with our siblings, but how often do we wrestle over the right of God to rule in our lives?
The word that we use to describe God’s rule, His authority over us, is sovereignty. When we say that God is sovereign, it means that He has absolute right over us, his children. What He wills is absolute. God’s sovereignty over us comes with important benefits. It means that we can know that it is He—not fate or chance—which rules the day and rules this world.
Let me point out four major benefits of God’s sovereignty:
First, it means that the responsibility for running the world—even my own personal life—has been lifted from my shoulders. That’s good news. It’s exactly what Paul was driving at when he wrote, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8;28). Notice the words: “we know”—not “we hope,” not “we think” or even “we believe.” Also notice the phrase, “God works….” The outcome isn’t dependent on my clever manipulation of the circumstances. I’m not the one who has to make it happen. I can trust the Father.
Benefit #2: A sense of wholeness and peace becomes my inheritance. I may not understand everything that God does. And certainly, I may not sense everything that God is doing, but I can rest in the confidence that because He is in control, I can turn off the light at night and say, “God, thank you for being with me today. Thank you for being with me now while I sleep.” You don’t need to keep one eye open because Psalm 121 assures us that God doesn’t slumber or sleep. The world is not spinning out of control, whatever you read or saw online today.
Benefit #3: Knowing that God is sovereign gives me a sense of security both spiritually and emotionally. Jesus told His disciples that they did not chose Him, but rather He chose them. So, what does that mean to you? If you are a follower of Christ, this means, based on what it says in the Bible book of Ephesians 1, that God chose you before the foundation of the world. You are no accident, no chance of fate, no accident of your parents. You are a unique person made in the image of God, and He chose you to be His son or daughter. You are a child of the king, and no one can ever rob you of that birthright.
Benefit #4: Knowing that God is sovereign gives me confidence when I pray. Because I am God’s child, I come boldly into the presence of the Father, I can talk plainly and directly with Him, understanding that He knows my frailties and weaknesses. He understands, and best of all, He sorts out the dumb things I ask for and gives me what I really need. He does this because of His great love for me as His child, a truth which I cannot understand. But for the rest of my life I can bask in the warmth of it. Take time today to read the Bible book of Romans chapter 8, especially the last half where Paul so beautifully tells that nothing can separate us from the love of this sovereign, loving God, neither now nor for all eternity.
Resource reading: Romans 8:31-39
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