Psalm 2: 1-4: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision”.
Someone once observed, “Man proposes; God disposes”. This simple expression sums up a vital Bible truth: God is sovereign over everything on Earth and over every part of our lives. No plan that we make will ever surprise Him; no opposition can overcome His purposes . He is God, and we are not.
Scripture tells us that God laughs at those who think they can exalt themselves against His will. Every plot of man against His design is doomed to failure. But the sovereignty of God is more than just a shield against our enemies; it is an assurance to us as His children. There is no attribute of God that is more comforting than the attribute of His sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, we can know and be certain that God has not forsaken us.
In order to have a proper perspective on life, we must never forget that God is sovereign and always does what is right. Joseph did not understand why his brothers sold him into slavery, why he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, or why he was forgotten by those he helped in prison. Yet through all of those circumstances, God was at work, and in the end, He placed Joseph exactly where He intended for Joseph to be. It is God’s nature to do what is right, and every part of your life will work according to His purpose and plan.
God’s sovereignty overrules our afflictions so that through these circumstances, He can sanctify us and make us more like His Son. God’s loving exercise of His sovereignty assures us that we can always trust Him, even if we do not understand the trials that He has allowed in our lives. There are no accidents with God. Although we are often tempted to question our circumstances, we can trust that everything that comes to us has gone through the filter of His love.
Our human nature is such that we frequently are not sure who or what we can trust. All of us face the temptation to walk according to sight instead of faith. Faith – if it is based on the right thing – will keep us from crashing. The reason faith in God and His Word keeps us on right path is because God never fails. There is not even the slightest hint that He will ever change His nature, His character, or His promises.
No promise is better than the one who makes it. We have seen many examples of people who trusted investments, companies and governments only to find that their confidence was misplaced.
When we trust His faithful sovereignty, we can be confident of two things: God knows what is best for us; and, because He is in control, He will see to it that we receive what is best.
Even If You Do Not Understand Why And How God Is Working, You Can Always Count On Him To Be Just And Do Right. The Circumstances Of Life That You Face Today Are No Challenge To The Power And Purpose Of God For Your Life. God Is In Charge.
Pastor Paul Okonkwo
Independent Baptist Bible Church (IBBC),
New Haven,
Enugu.
