OUR SOVEREIGN GOD

Daniel 4:37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Sunday School. As she ran she prayed, “Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late!” As she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. This time she prayed a little bit differently: “Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late…but don’t shove me either.”

This girl understood that God is in control of everything. The word “sovereign” is both a noun and verb. As a verb it means, “to rule,” and as a noun it means “king” or “absolute ruler.” To say that God is sovereign is to say that God is in charge of the entire universe all the time. The Westminster Confession puts it like this: “He ordains whatsoever comes to pass.” In a nutshell, God’s sovereignty means that he is absolutely free to do as he pleases and to demonstrate his absolute control over the actions of all his creatures. Or, to put it another way, he permits, for reasons known only to him, people to act contrary to his revealed will, but he never allows them to act against his sovereign will.

The sovereignty of God is a very humbling doctrine. Sovereignty reminds us that God is God and we are not. It’s an exalting doctrine because it gives us a big view of God. Many of us struggle because our view of God is too small. It’s also a mysterious doctrine because it brings us face to face with the problem of evil and free will. If God is sovereign, why is there evil in the universe? If humans have free will, how can God be in control? These questions have been debated for centuries. Suffice it to say that God is sovereign and you and I are fully responsible for all the choices we make. It’s a clarifying doctrine because it teaches that there is no such thing as luck, chance, fate or coincidence. You can have God or chance, but you can’t have both. It is an empowering doctrine. Since God is in charge, no mere human can intimidate you. You can live your life with boldness and confidence, without fearing anyone or anything. Since God is sovereign, we can trust him with our lives.

Understanding God’s sovereignty causes us to focus on him, not ourselves. Our response should be to fall at his feet and to give him everything we are and everything we own. Pride is not the sole possession of the powerful, the rich, or the famous. It controls each of us if we’re not careful.

Our scripture says it best. Everything he does is right and all his ways are just. He is a great big God that controls the universe. Still, he cares you and me. Let us place our trust in the God who does everything right. He is sovereign and he is in complete control.