GOD IS IN CONTROL

Haggai 2:21-23 “"Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. " 'On that day,' declares the Lord Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the Lord, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the Lord Almighty."

How much of your life do you control? You can eat right and exercise daily, but you don’t control the number of your days. You can live a healthy lifestyle and see your doctor regularly, but when an illness comes you can’t prevent it. How many people, who by the power of their own will kept cancer away or prevented some sickness? We cling to our jobs as though they provide us security, but anyone who has ever lost a job can tell you the loss of control that is felt in that moment. There is much of life you cannot and will not control, but you can be sure that God is in absolute control of everything, including your life.

Six times in our passage God tells us that he is in control. He says,

• “I will shake the heavens and the earth;”
• “I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms,”
• “I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms…”
• “I will overthrow the chariots and those that ride in them…”
• “I will take thee…”
• “I will make thee a signet…”

These are not foolish statements given by a braggart, but promises made by the Sovereign God of the universe. “I will,” without a doubt, you can take it to the bank, write it down and date it – I will do this and that. I am in control.”

Why did Zerubbabel need to hear that? Because when things got so bleak in the nation of Israel there may have been some cause for the faint of heart and weak of faith to doubt God’s control over their physical circumstances. God in essence says to these people, “You know it was bad yesterday, and you see it is bad today, and you have grown to believe that things are never going to get any better, but I want to remind you that I’m in charge around here!”

The people could not control whether or not it rained. They could not control how much their crops and vineyards and orchards produced. They could not control many things about their lives, but they could control the one thing that mattered most in all of that – they could control their responses.

Sometimes bad things happen because we invite them. Sometimes we simply live recklessly with our relationships, our possessions, with our time and talents and we bring them home with us. Other times bad things just happen. Regardless of why we go through trying circumstances that are beyond our ability to control, the one thing we do control is our response to God in the midst of those circumstances.

God is in control. That is the response I absolutely must give when things in my life are falling apart. Do you remember the old westerns where we’d see an enclosed buggy being pulled along by a team of horses? There would be passengers inside the buggy being led along by the driver on his seat perched atop the buggy. Imagine if the ride got pretty bumpy and the riders inside the buggy insisted that the driver hand them the reigns. Can you imagine the outcome if some one thought that he could effectively drive that coach from inside with such limited vision and sense of direction? Well isn’t that exactly what we are doing when we try to take the reigns from God? From where God sits he can see everything. He knows exactly where we’re headed and knows the way that is best for us – but too often when the ride gets bumpy we, with our limited vision and sense of direction, try to take over and drive ourselves.

No matter how down and discouraged you get; no matter how much you want to quit and give up; don’t ever forget that God is in control. When the people of Israel got down, they got way down. They had hit bottom, and they were right where God wanted them to be. The good news is that that’s not where God wanted them to stay. After considering their ways God wanted them to consider his ways. He is in control. He keeps his promises, and he is on our side.