Sovereign God. Who’s Really in Charge?
Where do we as humans get the idea that we have power over God’s plan? I don’t know about you, but it continues to be brought to my attention that my plans hold little weight to God’s. I surely would not have planned 2020 the way that He did. But since God exists outside of time as an infinite and sovereign ruler….who am I to question Him?
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?”
-God, Job 38:4
God, in His infinite goodness, told Job who’s in charge. I often believe God would ask me, “Who do you think you are?” while I’m attempting to make things go my way. That’s not really how it works, yet we continue to believe that we are our own little gods.
Does God need me to accomplish His plan?
While scrolling through social media lately, I’ve heard multiple people talking and/or preaching about what we must do so that God can accomplish things. Excuse me? Where does this notion come from? God needs me? He is a holy and mighty God that chooses to use us for his purposes but he doesn’t need us to accomplish them. God isn’t sitting around tapping his fingers waiting to further his plan until you and I decide to be obedient. God is a sovereign ruler.
If you flip that bible open to John 19:30, you see Jesus’ last words. Jesus said, “It is finished.” He didn’t say, “Hey y’all, I’m halfway done with my plan but I’m going to wait around on the rest of the world to do their parts so my plan can be finished one day.” NOPE. Jesus said it was done. Right then and there. He did it.
So we know how it all started, “In the beginning…”(Genesis 1:1). We know how it’s going to end, “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:15-17). We know how we got from Genesis 3 to Revelation is Jesus. As readers study scripture, it’s easy to extrapolate that God isn’t waiting on us for his plan to be accomplished.
GOD > man. Who’s sovereign?
Surely God uses us. We see that all throughout scripture. But He uses us according to His will and plan. God is sovereign and his ways are best. His plan for our lives was laid in the foundation of the earth. Not that God created robots, nowhere has God ever said that He controls every one of us. He accomplishes his purposes through imperfect people…because that’s all he has to work with. If you believe that God can’t act until we do something, I’d ask you to double-check who you truly believe is God. Does the God of the universe need each of us to do things so that his perfect will can be “unleashed” or do we get to be a part of God’s plan in our obedience?
For more info about this topic…
- The Holiness of God by RC Sproul
- Show Me Your Glory by Steven Lawson
- The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer
- Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves