A closer look at God's sovereignty
Whenever I really want to focus on God's sovereignty I campout in the book of Daniel. The main premise of Daniel is that God is sovereign! History has a point. It's going in a direction, centered around God and His people and God is control. Consider this definition of sovereignty - He's free to do 1) WHAT He wants 2) WHEN He wants 3) HOW He wants 4) TO WHOMEVER He wants 5) For WHATEVER reason 6) Noone can question Him and 7) Noone can stop Him! I think that about sums it up.
The book of Daniel portrays this perfectly as we see kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greece, Rome ... followed by the rise of the Kingdom of God. Consider the life of Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius, Xerxes, Alexander the Great and the 4 generals who followed after him, Antiochus Epiphanes, Judas Maccabeus and even Titus ... all of whom rose as rulers and fell - just as prophesied in the book of Daniel. Their lives are but dust and most people today have no idea who any of these men were. Yet in their day, they were rulers of nations.
Who am I to think that my life amounts to any more than theirs? I too am just a breath and will too be but dust. God could take my life at the next breath. Or He could choose to keep me on this earth for as long as He sees fit. Sometimes He paints the skies and moves heaven and earth, just to show me the depths of His love for me. Other times, He hands me a bowl full of trials and difficulties, which are also intended to show me the depths of His love for me. I must say that in my lifetime, He has chosen the latter more often for my experience. "Why?", I sometimes wonder when I'm in the midst of the mess, but find myself truly grateful on the other side. I know He loves me regardless of the trials and difficulties He gives to me and I know without a doubt that He's sovereign and He will do what He wants, when He wants, how He wants, to whomever He wants, for whatever reason, noone can question Him and noone can stop Him. In this I rest.
The book of Daniel portrays this perfectly as we see kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greece, Rome ... followed by the rise of the Kingdom of God. Consider the life of Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius, Xerxes, Alexander the Great and the 4 generals who followed after him, Antiochus Epiphanes, Judas Maccabeus and even Titus ... all of whom rose as rulers and fell - just as prophesied in the book of Daniel. Their lives are but dust and most people today have no idea who any of these men were. Yet in their day, they were rulers of nations.
Who am I to think that my life amounts to any more than theirs? I too am just a breath and will too be but dust. God could take my life at the next breath. Or He could choose to keep me on this earth for as long as He sees fit. Sometimes He paints the skies and moves heaven and earth, just to show me the depths of His love for me. Other times, He hands me a bowl full of trials and difficulties, which are also intended to show me the depths of His love for me. I must say that in my lifetime, He has chosen the latter more often for my experience. "Why?", I sometimes wonder when I'm in the midst of the mess, but find myself truly grateful on the other side. I know He loves me regardless of the trials and difficulties He gives to me and I know without a doubt that He's sovereign and He will do what He wants, when He wants, how He wants, to whomever He wants, for whatever reason, noone can question Him and noone can stop Him. In this I rest.
posted by Lisa Stucky at 7:42 PM
1 Comments:
It is an amazing thing just to be able to rest in the knowledge that our lives are so utterly not our own. I am so glad God is so much bigger than I am. I am also so very overwhelmed- as I should be.
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