The Sovereignty of God

“I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul” (Jeremiah 32:41).

There are so many times when we do not realize the sovereign hand of God at work behind the scenes, caring for His people.  Are we left at the mercy of stalled cars on a railroad track, or of a car that breaks down and costs us our income, or even at the mercy of people who are intent on doing us wrong and harm?  No, a thousand times no!  We are in the hands of a sovereign God who controls every circumstance of our lives and who rejoices in doing us good.

Many would say that God is in the miraculous, and He is, especially in the scenes we find in the Word of God.  We see it with Moses and Elijah, the miracles of God.  But is God also in the details of our life, of those details we can’t see?  Is God in the events of our lives for our good?  In other words is God in a car wreck?  Or is God with those involved in a Tsunami?  Must we conclude that God always orchestrates the events of our lives to fulfill His purpose?  According to Romans 8:28, the answer is a solid yes.  That verse says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose“.  That is why we are commanded to “give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thessalonians 5:18).

How can we give thanks to God for all that happens to us, the circumstances of our lives, if He were not at work in them for our good?  No circumstance is outside of God’s sovereign will.  And no plan of God’s can be thwarted.  God does as He pleases, and only as He pleases, and no one can frustrate His plans or hinder His purposes!  Look at Psalm 115:3, Job 42:2, Isaiah 14:27, and Isaiah 43:13.

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  • Today Matters

    “And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today” (2 Chronicles 18:4).

     

    In a day of rush and hurry up, with a mindset to have plenty of leisure so that we may do what we desire, it is good to learn a great lesson. That reminder from the Lord Himself is to “Inquire at the word of the Lord today.”

     

    The Lord Jesus said that we are to learn to lean heavily upon Him. And we lean hard upon Him by relying upon His Word so that we may learn to pray His heart and will. Today is the day of salvation. We need Him to save us and dismantle us from our sin and ourselves.

     

    “The glory of the Father must be the aim and end, the very soul and life of our prayer”, said Andrew Murray. God wants us to be in on what He is up to. Prayer becomes transformational when we embrace the enduring context for all praying.

     

    As we fix our eyes upon Him we will be transformed by the majesty of our great God, the person of Christ, the purity of His Word – and will excite within us an appetite for Him. Oh may we be renewed with a longing for His glory! Inquire of Him.

     

  • Facing the Challenge

    “Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:20).

    It is important to remember that all who are Christians have one life.  In the sight of heaven there is only one life that matters before God — it is the life of the Lord Jesus, indwelling each of us by His Spirit.  This is an amazing fellowship.  Because we share that one life, we share one great purpose and one great work:  it is the building of lives into the Kingdom of God, and in such a task one hundred per cent cooperation between Christian people is absolutely vital.  The greatest menace to revival is the Christian who refuses to work with other people because his view of Christian togetherness is different and short-sighted.

    Would it not make a great difference if each believer would say this before God, “Lord, I will make my own immediate locality my mission field. I will see to it that every family is regularly supplied with gospel literature, loved and urged to attend church“?  Would it not make a great difference if every believer was an example to their family and to others that the prayer meeting is the most important meeting of the week night?

    In the Christian work organizing and agonizing should go together.  Alas, too often organizing has crowded out the agonizing.  There is too much working before men and too little waiting before God.  There is more and more motion and less and less unction.  We wrestle with problems but we seldom wrestle on our knees before God against the real enemy, Satan.  We should have a ready burden at all times for the work of 100% cooperation in this work!  We have no room for the independent Christian; we are engaged in one supreme task, that of reaching this world for God, and it will take all of us.  This is how our God works.  Let’s allow the Lord Jesus to work in us and through us.

  • Truth Spoken In Love

    “And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love with which thou has loved me may be in them, and I in them”
    (John 17:26).

    People are looking for truth. They’re looking for reality. Deal with people in truth, and you will deal with reality.

    Speaking the truth isn’t even enough, though. Truth must be spoken in love.

    Many people think they are doing right by being very outspoken. Then, they put a veneer of respectability on what they say by commenting, “Well, I believe in telling the truth. You will always know what I think.” That is wrong, as well; for the child of God endeavors to balance that which “God says and what He says and how He says it”, in love.

    God’s people are to much like a see-saw. Unbalanced, too top-heavy, no real leverage, prideful, and liking it with a sneer. If the peace of God does not rule, He is not ruling in that person’s heart. God balances the see-saw with a fulcrum of truth and love.

    Truth balanced with love is Jesus on the cross praying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:33). “Forgive them” is love; “for they know not what they do” is truth. Mercy and peace kiss at the cross.

  • Leadership Matters

    “I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it…” (Revelation
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    What determines the ability of a leader to function? What is the difference
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    or a Church Member who is successful and others who are unsuccessful. Is it
    their genetics? Is it their family background? What about their birth? What
    makes a leader succeed? Is it their giftedness or personality that makes for
    success.

    No, none of these. The single most factor that makes a successful leader
    from an unsuccessful leader is their persistence. No matter the obstacles,
    no matter the differences, it is the ability to pursue their God-given goals
    by moving forward. The heart is devoted, the face is set, and to do or die,
    is not to reason why.

  • The Third Day

    The Peace Offering

    “It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire” (Leviticus 19:6).

    God desires and commands a freshness about our lives. There is to be an aroma of holiness that is fitting of Christ.  A freshness and newness of life will result when we desire Christ above all.  

    It is an odious thing to be stale and contaminated by sin. Because we have peace with God we ought to strive to rest in the peace of God that speaks volumes of a life endued  with power from on High.

    Anything that is a stench in our lives ought to be confessed and burned by the consuming fire of God. An awareness and attitude of holiness should be the prevailing function of the Spirit of God allowed to dwell habitually in our temples.

    The power of the third day is that we can confess our need and our sins before a holy God and He hears that cry. God has promised peace not only by our justification through the cross of Christ,  but also our “peacefulness” by His life freely dwelling within us.

  • You Can Not

    “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5).

    Mark Twain said these words, “You can’t pray a lie. I found that out.” Have we realized that God is looking for men and women who live a life that is pure and holy before Him? Do we not understand that the way the Lord communicates to us is a life that is filled with the aroma of Christ?

    Our salvation and prayer life is not dependent upon us. Our lives are not dependent upon our living it out. Our goals are not His nor are our ways. God began a new work in us when we were redeemed by the blood of Christ. He cleansed us and claimed us for His own. Now until we understand that we don’t know how to pray.
     
    Our fellowship with God and what we have in Him, and our lives being constantly cleansed, which is abiding in Him and our allowing the Spirit of God to work in us, how?–    through the Word of God, the church of God, the sufferings of life–all of which God will use to speak to us. This is how we pray. Not with a lie but with truth. Too many say they pray but their lives are no where ready to receive God’s prayer request.