Week Seven - Day Four: Sovereign

“I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and all their depths.” – Psalm 135:5-6

Our God is sovereign. He is preeminent; He is the highest and greatest in rank, power and authority. He is the supreme ruler. What He says ... goes!

So how are we to relate to such a being? Yesterday we talked about surrender! No doubt about it, we must surrender to the sovereign God. But there‘s more. This is not a dreadful surrender. We are not begrudgingly bowing before a capricious sovereign under whose whim we live in fearful dread that His eye might randomly fall on us. No, God is a good sovereign whose entire will and purpose is set on doing us good. We will have more to say about that in coming weeks when we talk about God‘s love, but for now let‘s begin today by remembering that ours is a happy surrender.

Psalm 139 gets it right, doesn‘t it? “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother‘s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.” I added the bolding for emphasis. Notice the Psalmist response to God‘s creative sovereignty!

And again ... “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious are your thoughts, O God! How vast the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake I am still with you!” Here notice the Psalmist response to God‘s direction over the affairs of his life. This thought is precious. No matter what his circumstance, he knows God is still with him.

Sometimes I will say to our congregation on a Sunday morning, “if you missed everything else, don‘t miss this.” Well here is our “don‘t miss this moment.” God‘s sovereignty is the source of soul‘s rest! Relax! It‘s in His hands!

A. W. Tozer comments beautifully on this:

“To believe actively that our Heavenly Father consistently spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being brings to the soul a veritable benediction. Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart.

There is a better way. It is to repudiate our own wisdom and take instead the infinite wisdom of God. Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged Himself with the full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him.”

Wow! Pause for a moment to take that in. Wow! A. W. Pink adds:

“Here is a sure resting place for the heart. Our lives are neither the product of blind fate nor the result of capricious chance, but every detail of them was ordained from all eternity, and is now ordered by the living and reigning God. Not a hair of our heads can be touched without His permission. What assurance, what strength, what comfort this should give the real Christian. ‘My times are in your hands!‘ (Psalm 31:15)”

This is the profound reality on top of which followers of Christ have for centuries built lives of devotion and rest. This is the profound reality on top of which we can build a life free of worry and fretting, free of the obsessive need to control or to succeed. Think of the messages from the old tapes that far too often make up the background music for our lives. “You‘ll never amount to anything.” “You‘re too little of this.” “You‘re too much of that.” “You‘re just no good.”

Here‘s the truth: God is sovereign and God is good. He made everything; He orders and sustains everything just as He sees fit. And all of it is perfectly good. What does that say about you?!?!

Before You Start Your Day

1. Let‘s launch our day by reading Psalm 37. The Psalmist is obviously tempted to wear himself out by worrying about why others are succeeding at something while he ... Well, you‘ve probably been there. But listen to where he ends up and notice how the sovereignty of God is behind how he gets there.

   Psalm 37

   (1) Do not fret because of those who are evil
         or be envious of those who do wrong;

   (2) for like the grass they will soon wither,
         like green plants they will soon die away.

   (3) Trust in the LORD and do good;
         dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

   (4) Take delight in the LORD,
         and he will give you the desires of your heart.

   (5) Commit your way to the LORD;
         trust in him and he will do this:

   (6) He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
         your vindication like the noonday sun.

   (7) Be still before the LORD
         and wait patiently for him;
         do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
         when they carry out their wicked schemes.

   (8) Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
         do not fret–it leads only to evil.

   (9) For those who are evil will be destroyed,
         but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

   (10) A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
         though you look for them, they will not be found.

   (11) But the meek will inherit the land
         and enjoy peace and prosperity.

   (12) The wicked plot against the righteous
         and gnash their teeth at them;

   (13) but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
         for he knows their day is coming.

   (14) The wicked draw the sword
         and bend the bow
         to bring down the poor and needy,
         to slay those whose ways are upright.

   (15) But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
         and their bows will be broken.

   (16) Better the little that the righteous have
         than the wealth of many wicked;

   (17) for the power of the wicked will be broken,
         but the LORD upholds the righteous.

   (18) The blameless spend their days under the LORD‘s care,
         and their inheritance will endure forever.

   (19) In times of disaster they will not wither;
         in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

   (20) But the wicked will perish:
         Though the LORD‘s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
         they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

   (21) The wicked borrow and do not repay,
         but the righteous give generously;

   (22) those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
         but those he curses will be destroyed.

   (23) The LORD makes firm the steps
         of the one who delights in him;

   (24) though he may stumble, he will not fall,
         for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

   (25) I was young and now I am old,
         yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
         or their children begging bread.

   (26) They are always generous and lend freely;
         their children will be a blessing.

   (27) Turn from evil and do good;
         then you will dwell in the land forever.

   (28) For the LORD loves the just
         and will not forsake his faithful ones.
         Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
         the offspring of the wicked will perish.

   (29) The righteous will inherit the land
         and dwell in it forever.

   (30) The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
         and their tongues speak what is just.

   (31) The law of their God is in their hearts;
         their feet do not slip.

   (32) The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
         intent on putting them to death;

   (33) but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked
         or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

   (34) Hope in the LORD
         and keep his way.
         He will exalt you to inherit the land;
         when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

   (35) I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
         flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

   (36) but he soon passed away and was no more;
         though I looked for him, he could not be found.

   (37) Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
         a future awaits those who seek peace.

   (38) But all sinners will be destroyed;
         there will be no future for the wicked.

   (39) The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
         he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

   (40) The LORD helps them and delivers them;
         he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
         because they take refuge in him.

2. Praise God for His great goodness toward us and His sovereign concern and care!