“The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” Ps. 103:19
Many people believe in fate, chance and karma. What goes around, comes around. Do enough good and good will come back to you. The good things that happen in life are merely coincidence or the stars aligning.
Christians look at life through a very different lens because we believe in a sovereign God. God’s sovereignty is one of the most comforting aspects of His character because it reflects His complete, perfect rule over all things at all times.
Because of His sovereignty, He rules supremely over all His creation. He is called the King of kings and Lord of lords. He “determines the course of world events; He removes kings and sets others on the throne” (Dan. 2:21). While earthly kings are given authority by other people, God’s reign is completely unique. Bill Bright says, “God does not derive His right to rule from anyone or anything. No title was bestowed on Him by another, and there is no higher authority anywhere than His. His reign is so magnificent that we cannot comprehend any part of it.” We serve a perfect King.
We find comfort in God’s sovereignty by trusting in His purposes and perfect will for our lives even when–especially when–we do not understand His ways. Scripture tells us His will is “good, perfect and pleasing” (Rom. 12:2). We must also remember His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Is. 55:8-9). Charles Spurgeon says, “There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s Sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that Sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them.”
His will is always to make us more like Christ and for us to gain a deeper understanding of His love for us. So even when we do not understand His ways, we can trust His heart.
God has demonstrated His sovereignty clearly in my life, often in the midst of very difficult circumstances. God brought about our desire to adopt through the heartbreak of infertility. Anyone who has experienced deep, unmet longings can relate to the struggle and confusion that comes with a dream not fulfilled.
We often want to figure out the reason God allows pain in our life. Sometimes He reveals His reasons– He had something much better for us, He wanted us to grow in our dependence on Him, or maybe He allowed consequences from a sinful decision. I do not know why the Lord allowed us to struggle with infertility, but I do know it would be unlikely we would have Camp in our lives had we not faced the struggle. He brought about something so very good in spite of the hurt. He is a God of redemption after all.
What situation are you facing right now where you are tempted to doubt God’s sovereignty? You may not know now how the Lord is going to work things for your good. Recognize this chapter of your life is not over. The Lord has not forgotten about you, even if you feel He has. Cry out to the Lord and ask Him for renewed hope. Trust in His goodness and rest in His sovereignty. Your story is still being written.
~Courtney
