One of God’s traits I keep coming back to over and over in my reading, writing, and thoughts is His sovereignty. To know my God is our sovereign God – the rightful, unquestionable, unrestrained leader, creator, decider, and controller of all – has been a priceless comfort in this life. When I am overwhelmed with the state of the world; when I feel powerless to the happenings in my life outside my control; when I feel not up to the task of handling things I can control on my own; when my own negativity and pessimism drown out all other rational thoughts; when my sorrow and grief feels discordantly crushing; every time these things happen, I learn more and more the value of belonging to the Lord, instead of relying on myself for these things. Romans 8:28 reminds us, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” When God is singular Lord over us and all that ails us, we know in all these things we further experience His goodness and His holiness by trusting those facts over ourselves. Through Scripture, we know we don’t need to worry of any of these – we know God’s got it all under control.
In this way, I understand the prophet Habakkuk’s sentiment in Habakkuk 3:19 – “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” When confronted with the inequity of man’s action, he finds joy and strength in the promise of the Lord’s promise of deliverance and rule over all that assails him. Or the understanding of Simeon in Luke 2:29, the righteous man who waited patiently at his life’s end to see Christ with his own eyes, declaring “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” Knowing the Lord has created and resided over all His people and planned their salvation from the beginning brings me the deepest peace I could know. God’s incontestable claim over me consoles me that none could separate me from Him. God’s hand stretched over all creation and all time helps me know that of course the Lord will see me through all things to do good in His name.
Take the time with me today to ruminate on what Romans 11:36 means in your life: “From him and through him and to him are all things.” Paul’s words to the Church in Rome all those years ago still ring true submission to the sovereign rule of Christ – all we have and all that is, He created. Not for me, or for any of us, but to Him, for His glory. I think – when I say that God is the one and only creator and king over all there is and all I have, do I consider these things from, through, and to Him? Does thanking God for what comes from & through Him go hand in hand with knowing and acting on how all should go to further His glory as well – how all I have, I desperately need to give to God? One constant prayer of mine is for a heart that would do less for myself and more for Christ, and I know God answers this prayer when, at the times I need it most, 1 Corinthians 10:31 comes into my head: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Our God is the sovereign Lord over all – the one and only, no-holds barred ruler over all that was, is, and is to come. Pray that all the world, created in His glory, may receive with open hearts His word so that all would proclaim the glory of God that is rightfully His. Pray that all you would go to Him to further His kingdom here on earth. And, today and every day, be thankful for the claim our Lord has on us!