Probably one of the more neglected teachings of Scripture in our current day is that of the sovereignty of God. It is a truth that even we who are engaged in cross cultural ministry can tend to neglect. To put it in its most simple form, sovereignty means that God has “absolute authority and rule over his creation[1].” God is God and we are His creatures.
However, we can certainly state that God is sovereign all the while living and working as if we, as His creation, are self-governing and independent.
So, what benefits might we gain from a deep dive into the notion of God’s sovereignty? At least three come quickly to mind.
First, God’s sovereignty provides us with a profound sense of security amid all the troubles, struggles and difficulties of the work to which He has called us. Nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. That is how the apostle Paul expressed it (Romans 8). No matter what wall or obstacle we may come up against, we know that God is fully aware and works to use everything in our lives for our growth and the furtherance of His missional project for this world.
Next, a trust in God’s sovereignty will lead us to worship Him. Knowing that He rules over all creation frees us from having to carry that responsibility ourselves. It will cause us to rejoice in knowing that nothing escapes His view (Hebrews 4:13); that He is always at work for the good of His creation; and that one day He will be recognized as Lord over all by all (Philippians 2:10-11). How can our heart not sing in response to this truth?
Finally, God’s sovereignty is a reminder and call to prayer. To whom else can we turn? In whom else can we put our trust and hope if not the sovereign God? We can know, through prayer, that He will answer in His way and in His time. The famous British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once said: “Prayer assumes the sovereignty of God.”
There are many ‘walls’ that we as individuals and as a World Team community are facing these days. To name a few. We lack 50% of the funds needed to cover the costs of the Global 3C Conference. The numbers of cross-cultural workers serving with our teams is diminishing. We are not seeing the fruit, the multiplication we long for in disciples of Jesus and communities of believers among the people we serve.
God’s sovereignty reminds us that this work is not our own. It is His work. And because it is His work, we can rest in His grace, freed from worry, and inspired to go to Him for each of these ‘walls’; using the strength and grace He provides to give ourselves to work toward seeing these needs, these ‘walls’ addressed.
[1] Our Sovereign God, James M. Boice, page 149
Filed under: Grace, Sovereignty | 6 Comments »
I read this statement today which put order back into my heart and thinking: “This is why it is important to believe with an unshakeable trust that we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken.”
are worth ‘chewing over’ in our day:
Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom.”
rich in meaning for our daily lives. We could talk about His foresight, guidance or sovereign hand over all things happening in our lives and in this world. Yet, that ‘comfort’ needs to go much deeper into our heart so as to produce a change in how we live and act in light of this biblical reality.
Thoughts Along The Journey 