September 2016

The Sovereignty of God

 

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His Word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the LORD, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

(Psalm 103:19-22)
 
 

 

During my quiet times, I have been reading through the book of Psalms. And, the time I have spent there, reading songs and poems written by David and others, has been nothing short of transforming. It will really change your perspective to read about how others have encountered mountaintops and valleys, and have always kept the God of creation in front of them.

 

That’s sort of what led to the series we’re currently going through on Sunday mornings. It is impossible to read the psalms and not see the renewal, the revival, which came from David’s encounters with God. Good or bad, David knew where to place the honor and glory. And, by seeing and experiencing God’s protection of him, he left the lowest times in his life reinvigorated and full of praise!

 

 

We don’t always understand God’s purposes in adversity. We wonder why it happens, and how this could possibly benefit us. But,

Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purposes.”

 

David’s writings reveal to us that he knew that the Lord was in control, regardless of the circumstances he encountered. And, this serves as a great lesson for us, as well. Far from being perfect, the Bible shows us that David was a flawed, fallible human being, that was used by God, in spite of his issues. We see throughout the psalms David’s journey from adversity, sin, temptation, all the way to forgiveness and restoration.

Charles Stanley wrote,

“When he was running for his life from King Saul, God spared him. When he yielded to temptation with Bathsheba, God spared him. When his son attempted to take David’s throne, God spared him and kept him as king.”

This should be a source of unspeakable comfort to each of us who are saved and trying to live each day in a way that draws us ever closer to God and the example of His Son, our Savior.

 

Why? Through everything David experienced, he discovered that God was protecting and guiding him, using him for extraordinary purposes, despite his flaws. If we don’t believe that God is doing the same thing for us, where do we turn when the storms of life come?

 

In 1 Chronicles 29:12, David prays, “Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.” Faith enables us to believe in the Lord’s ability to do just that, in His sovereignty. Though we may not always understand his reasons, we can always be confident and hopeful in his purposes!

 

In His Love,

Bro. Heath

 


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