God is Sovereign

We’ve all heard that God is Sovereign - One who is above or superior to others; can do anything. A.W.Tozer says, “God’s sovereignty is the attribute by which he rules his entire creation and to be sovereign, God must be all-knowing, all powerful, and absolutely free.”  Perhaps, you’ve wondered, as I have, how his sovereignty impacts our everyday lives. When I reflect on that thought it generates many questions in my mind. Perhaps it does in yours as well.  I understand God does what he wills because he is sovereign. There is no other God but him. He has power and authority to do anything he chooses within his creation, “according to His own pleasure” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). That means he is sovereign over sickness and death and over nature and demons. He is the only one to have that kind of power and all is for his glory.  

As I reflect on the impact of God’s sovereignty on my everyday life, I must trust in his sanctifying work in me. He chose me and he loves me, I can rest in the assurance that he has the power to do what he has planned for me. He has the power to care for me because I am a part of the family of God.  If he does all those things, then I can also trust him.  But then I thought, if I can trust him then I should not be consumed by fret or worry (Phil. 4:6-7; Psalm 37:1-9). The indwelling Holy Spirit leads me, guides me, and convicts me as I mature in my faith. He even overlooks my occasional sin and rebelliousness as I walk with him in repentance and obedience.  

During my first trip to Israel in 2004, I had a revelation of what God did on my behalf when he hung on the cross and just how much God loved me. As I strolled through the Garden of Gethsemane I wondered if he saw my face before I was born. I walked over to the nearby Church of All Nations that was built over the rock slab on which Jesus prayed before his betrayal by Judas in the Garden. I knelt by the rock and reflected on the night before his crucifixion. As I reached out and laid my hand on the rock, I began to sob, racking sobs. In that moment I realized just what he had done for me. It became real to me. When I think back on that experience, I realize just how powerful God is and how that increased my confidence in who he is, who I am, and my security in him. 

In the current climate of violence and war and our world seemingly losing its way, I can feel somewhat insecure. Then, I am reminded to trust God (Psalm 50:15). He is with me amid my insecurities, and I am invited to think on what is true (Phil.4:8). I cry out to God and say, ‘I trust you God. I know you are with me, and I will not be anxious (Isaiah 41:10). I am secure because you, the God of Peace, is with me (Psalm 23:4; Psalm 91:1-2; Phil.4:7). I am content no matter what the circumstances (Phil 4:11). I have reason to hope because of the redemption of Christ (1 Peter 1:3-6). I know that one day you will make all things right. God, you are a sovereign God and one day you will put an end to everything evil (Rev.21:5).’ 

I am encouraged to live and trust in the God of Peace. I find great solace when I enter lament. It leads me through my sorrows, and I rejoice in the living God despite the evil that lurks about me. When I cry out to God, I trust that he hears me, and he will comfort me during my suffering and lament (Psalm 18:6; 34:17; 40:1). 

Be encouraged, beloved of Christ, and remember,  

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 

By being reconciled to Christ, we have real hope in the days of evil because the God of Peace is with us.  

I want to leave you with a poem by Thomas Sternhold, an English psalmist, written in the 1500’s.  

The Lord descended from above, 

And bowed the heavens most high, 

And underneath His feet He cast 

The darkness of the sky. 

On cherubim and seraphim 

Full royally He rode, 

And on the wings of mighty winds 

Came flying all abroad. 

He sat serene upon the floods, 

Their fury to restrain: 

And He, as sovereign Lord, and King, 

For evermore shall reign. 

(Psalm Paraphrase)

Jill Austin became part of NEWIM 27 years ago and says that NEWIM was her lifeline. Jackie Rettberg (past president 2009-2017) helped her fall in love with the Scriptures in a new way and taught her how to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit. She served on the NEWIM Board for 10 years, served on the AZ Springs retreat team, and led 3 guided silent retreats

Recently Jill led NEWIM's six-session discussion on the book, Aging Faithfully. She is a small group leader for the NEWIM spiritual formation cohort and prays with the NEWIM group on Thursdays @2. Jill and her husband, Roger, live in Ft. Collins, Colorado. She mentors three women, heads the prayer ministry at her church, and is a prayer minister for the Rocky Mountain Anglican Diocese. You can reach Jill at Jilvas@comcast.net