Sovereignty: October 23, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2012

SOVEREIGNTY

DEFINITION:

Supreme in power or authority; being above all others in importance, excellence and power.

SCRIPTURE:

 “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens and His sovereignty ruled over all” Psalm 103:19 (NAS).

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Sovereignty of God is a theological term meaning that our God has absolute authority and right of dominion over all His creation, because He is the self-existent creator. He has the sovereign right to do whatever He pleases. Sometimes we may feel He is not acting as we think He should, particularly when we look at the evil and corruption in this world we live in and wonder why God allows bad things to happen.

This was the question Job asked when God allowed him to endure terrible suffering that is recorded in the book of Job in the Old Testament. Job had been faithful to God and led an upright life. Job could not understand why God allowed him to suffer. God spoke to Job out of a storm but did not answer Job’s question. Instead God asked Job who he thought he was to question God’s wisdom and authority. Confronted by God in all His Holiness and majestic sovereignty Job could only bow in humble reverence and submission before his almighty God.

God is sovereign in absolute control of all things and of all people. It is not our right to question why God does what He does or what He allows. The powers of darkness, sin, Satan, demons, and the wickedness of mankind cannot alter the purpose of our sovereign God.

Habakkuk, a prophet of God, questioned God’s inactivity concerning the evil that prevailed in Judah in his day. He cried out to God with all his concerns. He said there is violence and evil deeds everywhere. People love to argue and fight. The wicked far out number the righteous. Justice has become perverted and there is no justice in the courts. He could have been describing the day and age we are living in today. Habakkuk felt God was not seeing or hearing what was going on.

In Habakkuk 1:5-6 God answered and assured Habakkuk that He was already doing something about it. God said: “I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you.” Judah’s day of reckoning was coming. God was raising up the Babylonians who God would use to punish Judah. God is in absolute control of all things and of all people and not obligated to reveal the what or the why of His works. God is at work in our lives even though we cannot see it.

Even these prophets of old found it hard to understand the sovereignty of God and the same is true of us today. It is so reassuring to know that God has unlimited authority over all things and that He always creates and molds everything perfectly -- even our lives when we put our trust in Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 6:23.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

PRAYER:

Thank You that I serve a sovereign God. I stand in awe at Your marvelous works and come to You as my God who is all knowing, all powerful and sovereign. May others see by my actions that I honor You as the sovereign Lord of my life.