The theology of the ‘Doctrine of Sovereignty of God’
is one of the most comforting and enlivening truths which could help us with
our worries, anxieties, fear, especially when we face the mountain of ‘unscalables’
in our lives. When clients come to me, I would ask them so many questions, to
find out who they are, and about their present situation where they needed
help. Their statements define themselves and I would listen to their answers.
Let us see what God says, about Himself in His Word, by God’s own testimony.
God’s own testimony is reliable because He is completely acquainted with His
own nature, and God’s self-knowledge about Himself is without error. Above all,
there is no reason why God would deceive us or confuse us about His purpose or
power, so we can safely trust God’s testimony about Himself.
God is completely holy and it is not at all possible
for Him to sin. He is perfectly holy, perfectly just, perfectly loving, and
perfectly wise, He is the God of wisdom, majesty, honour and power. If He is
anything less than the above He is not God, and He is not a celestial policeman
and neither he is a malicious despot. When I travelled to Greece I have visited
many of the Greek temples of gods and goddesses. Our Father in Heaven is not
one of the Greek gods, who can be moody and temperamental and who would decide
to mess with the lives of people for fun. Our God is the creator of heaven and
earth and mankind who loves, mankind unconditionally to give His One and only
Son for the remission of our sins and for the sins of the whole world. Let us
see what the Word of God says about God.
God says, He controls and orchestrates every event of
the world for His glory and honour; 1 Chro: 29:10-11; Psa: 103: 19; Prov:
16:33.
God can determine the times and season, the weather,
the growth of crops, and the fall and rise of Kings and Kingdoms; Gen: 8:22; 1
King: 8:35; 2 Chro: 7:13-14; Amos: 4:7; Isa: 5:6; Hag: 1:10-11.
God determines the length of our lives; Job: 14:5;
Psa: 68:20; Acts: 17: 26.
God does not need anything from us to enable Him to
rule sovereignly; Acts: 17: 24-25.
Understanding God’s sovereignty is important to
a believer, because God’s sovereignty is a safe harbor against fear, anxieties
and worries. If we deny the sovereignty of God in all situations, circumstances
and events, we can lose all the security. One had to come to the humbling position
that every atom, in the universe is under His sovereign control and He has the
power to turn things the way He wanted and He is perfectly just and holy as He
testifies about Himself in His Word. Jesus Christ before He was crucified He
prepared the Disciples for the trials, persecution, that the Disciples are
going to face after His departure. The disciples could not understand then the
events which are going to happen are within God’s sovereign control. “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be
scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not
alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world;” Jn 16:32-33. Jesus Christ was telling them that His Disciples will
desert him, and that is all within the Sovereign control of God, and not under
the power of Judas, Pilate and the chief priests who had brought Jesus to
trial. God was indeed in control of the Roman governor the Pilate, in control
of the Pharisees, in control of Judas, and in control of the chief priests. No
one absolutely no one will be able to overcome God and His plan, and Jesus
wanted His Disciples to have peace, understanding God’s sovereignty in spite of
the storm which will be raging soon around them.
Can we trust God, in our tribulations? Why does God allow
tribulations if He is sovereign? The Bible tells us to rejoice in our
sufferings, and this is especially very hard, when we are overwhelmed with fear
of the sufferings and rejoicing in our suffering is abnormal for the fallen
humanity. The truth of the matter is, that we are slowly being made to fit for
heaven, and being prepared to experience the splendor, magnificence, the honor,
and happiness of the eternal world. I am not trying to say, that we should all
look for trials and persecutions around us all the time. Suffering does this for us, and we have to
understand God’s Word, in the light of eternity, and learning to trust God in
the storm is a lesson, and is a process. The Word of God confirms this, “For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal;” 2 Cori:4:17-18.
If
we look through the Scriptures, we find many stories of our Patriarchs, who
have gone through much trials, and persecutions, and God had chosen them to
fulfill many big things for His glory. Our Patriarchs, Abraham, Moses, Deborah,
Jacob, Gideon, Barack, and Paul then Saul were some of the examples and there
are many other examples and Bible is full of it. I also love the story of the
founder of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther. In 1521, he was called to
appear before a tribunal, and was commanded to retract his writings. Luther,
wisely asked the church and the government officials, ‘a night’ to consider his
answer. He wrestled the whole night with God, and when Luther met the next day,
with the officials he said the following: “Unless you prove from the Bible that
he had made wrong statements; he will not take back anything he has written.”
God is a God of wisdom and majesty, and He does gives his wisdom to His
children, when we genuinely ask of Him. Luther’s words, resounds through the
ages for many martyrs when they stood before their persecutors! Beloved, when
we face fears, worries, anxieties, fear of being persecuted for righteousness
sake, we can take comfort, and refuge, and peace, with God, who gave His one
and only Son for us; who still is ruling the universe and is Sovereign. May God
be our safe harbor where we can anchor our faith and may He be our refuge. Now let us hear what God says for
those who mourn in Isaiah 54.
·
Sing,
O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the
desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the
place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine
habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For
thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall
inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear
not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt
not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt
not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For
thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the
Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and
grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For
a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting
kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For
this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of
Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be
wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains
shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from
thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. O thou afflicted,
tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair
colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of
agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And
all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy
children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from
oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come
near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever
shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold,
I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth
forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No
weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall
rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the
servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Fear of God, is the beginning of all
wisdom and it is an antidote against perplexing fear, anxiety and worry when
trouble assails us. Godly reverence for our heavenly Father gives us hope when
the storm rages around us. Prophet Habakkuk looks at the experiences of the
church in the former days, and he was comforted when he saw trouble, agony and
strife among Christian brothers, and was not without hope but was filled with
holy joy and peace. He knew when all is gone from the nation, and from him, God
is not gone and he pens the following:
·
Although
the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour
of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be
cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy
in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength,
and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon
mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments; Hab 3:17-19.
Habakkuk’s prayer was that even when the vines and the fig
trees are gone, the prosperity is gone, and the mirth of the carnal hearts are
gone, still God is not gone; so we have all the reason to rejoice in the God of
our salvation. When we meet the losses, and the crosses of this world, it is
only the joy of the Lord, which keeps us moving forward. This is a great reason
to rejoice in the eternal salvation and the faith in Lord Jesus Christ, the
only Son of God prepares us for eternity. The name of Jesus which heals us of
all wounds, sheds fragrance for our soul and gives us the hope for the heavenly
crown. This is the one and only reason why we should all sit loosely on earthly
possessions, material benefits, and comforts, and all earthly relationship
ties. We are in a process; a process of learning continuously to place our
trust in God, and not on our situations, whatever it may be. Habakkuk decided
to trust God, even if it does not make sense to him.
Points to ponder when we face the ‘unscalables’ in our
lives:
·
Understanding God’s
view of the situation.
·
What does the Bible
say about trials?
·
What does the Bible
require of the believer’s way of life?
·
When everything fails,
does God fail?
·
Remember God is
Sovereign.
·
Always remember, that
God can use all the failures around us for our good and for His glory.
·
Remember with the
temptation, He also provides a way of escape.
·
Thanking God in our
trials, and even for ungodly leaderships.
·
Continue to place our
trust in God, and not on our circumstances.
·
Continuous dependence
on God’s grace and for His help in our trials.
·
Change the way we
react to our trials: how?
a.
How to be an example of giving a godly
response?
b.
How to pray for
different trials, and also for ungodly authorities over us?
c.
Focus on our work and
God and not on the circumstances.
d.
Learning to respond as
Christ did.
e.
Learning to do good
and not evil.
·
With prayer and
supplication present our requests to God in all circumstances.
·
Remember the God who
can orchestrate the world events are still in control of our lives.
As
Mathew Henry once said, the trials of a Saint are orchestrated by the counsels
of God, and no one can add or delete from it. What one can do for that person
in trial is to pray for them.
www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry.../luke/22.html
Read Luke 22 commentary using Matthew
Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible ... of the saints under
their sufferings, nor the counsel of God concerning
their ..
https://www.biblegateway.com/.../matthew-henry/Rom.8.29-Rom.8.30
Study; App; Store .... Matthew Henry's Commentary
– Verses 29–30 ... The counselsand decrees of God do
not truckle to the frail and fickle will of ... Christ is the express image of
his Father, and the saints are conformed to the image of
Christ.
Prayer
is a powerful weapon against the inflation of worry, anxiety, and fear when one
faces the storm in their lives and to acknowledge that God is Sovereign in our
lives. When we stretch our minds in our fallenness that He does not care for
our needs when we face the unscalables we are indeed wrong, because we are
losing sight of the broader picture by focusing on minute details. Dark nights
of failure, betrayal, sickness, and even in death, God still cares. When the
desperation comes, and when we think God is silent, God is still acting. In our
dark nights of silence, we all need reassurance just like Habakkuk; “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard,
and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe,
though it be told you;” Hab 1:5. Below is a prayer to encourage our hearts.
Dear
Father in heaven, in our fallenness and frailty, very often when troubles
assail us we fail to realize Thou Art God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth
and all its inhabitants. We fail to acknowledge that Thou hast made man in
Thine image, and Thou hast seen each one of us, at the time of conception. This
knowledge is beyond us, and we ask forgiveness for our lack of understanding.
We want to acknowledge that Thou Art a Sovereign Lord, in all of our
circumstances. When trials and difficulties come around us, still Thou art our
God, the Father who love us with an everlasting love.
We
acknowledge that Thou art preparing each one of us for Thine Heavenly Kingdom,
to enjoy the glory, splendor, the majesty, and help each one of us to
understand Thine everlasting love in the midst of our trials. Lord, give us
grace so that we may understand that trials and difficulties prepares us to get
an everlasting glimpse of Thine Kingdom. Give us grace so that we begin to
understand the depth and width of Thine love. Thank You for giving Your Only
Son, to die for us and go through severe trials while in this earth for our
sake. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, the comforter, to comfort us when we are
assailed by tribulations.
Jesus
Christ our burden bearer we lift up our voices to Your throne room, so that You
will bear the burden with us, because You said my yoke is light. We pray for
those who need comfort, when faced with varied trials, and may the Spirit of
God, the comforter, gives comfort to those who mourn. May their mourning be
changed to dancing and joy.
We
acknowledge that Thou Art a Sovereign God, even when the storm rages around us,
because You alone can calm the storm, and orchestrate events around us. We want
to ascribe greatness to Your Holy Name. Thou art everlasting, and Your love
never fails. Thou art good and there is none like Thee Oh! Lord. We pray that
we trust Your Words, that You would carry us on eagles’ wings and make us shine
like the sun, and carry us on the palm of His hands for Your glory and honour.
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit we
pray, Amen.
For
further reading:
1. Millard J.
Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House:
1983-85.
2. R.T.
Kendall. Understanding Theology, Developing a Healthy Church
in the 21st Century. 1996.
3. Jay E.
Adams. A Theology of Christian Counseling, More than Redemption. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1979.
4. Louis
Berkhof. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
5. Robert P
Lightner. Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Historical, Biblical, and
Contemporary Survey and Review. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book
House, 1986.
6. Charles
Ryrie. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, 1999.
7. A. H.
Strong. Systematic Theology. New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co,
1907.
8. Wayne
Grudem. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
9. Steven W.
Waterhouse. Not By Bread Alone, An Outlined Guide To Bible Doctrine. Amarillo:
Westcliffe Press, 2007.
10. John Theodore
Muller, Th.D. Christian Dogmatics, A handbook of Doctrinal Theology for
Pastors, Teachers, and Laymen. St. Louis, Mo: Concordia
Publishing House, 1934.
11. Prayers To
Move Your Mountains. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000.
12. John White. Parables,
the Greatest Stories ever Told. Illinois: Inter varsity Press, 1988,
1999.
13. ESV Study
Bible. English Standard Version. Crossway
Bibles, Wheaton, Illinois: Publishing ministry of Good News
publishers, 2008.
14. The Matthew Henry
Study Bible. King James Version. Iowa falls: World Bible
Publishers, Inc. 1990.
15. Elyse
Fitzpatrick. Overcoming Fear, Worry and
Anxiety. Harvest House Publishers: Eugene, Oregon,2001.
