“Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?” (Isaiah 40:13).
TO SAY THAT GOD IS “SOVEREIGN” IS TO SAY THAT HE EXERCISES SUPREME, PERMANENT AUTHORITY. We might say that God is in control of His creation, but that would be putting it mildly. God is the Creator of all else that exists. Nothing can happen that He does not cause to happen or permit to happen. And this thought of God’s sovereignty ought to be a consoling, reassuring thought.
One of the most important concepts in the Scriptures is that of “committing” ourselves to God. Paul spoke of that which he had “committed” to God (2 Timothy 1:12). When suffering, Jesus “committed” Himself to God (1 Peter 2:23). And when we suffer, we are to “commit” our souls to God, “as to a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). The idea is that of entrusting everything to God, holding nothing back. And the assumption is that God will take what we have committed to Him and manage it all to His glory.
When we do that — commit everything to Him — look at how many things we no longer have to worry about. What is going to happen? We don’t have to know. Will what happens work out for the best? We can assume that it will. How can I control what happens to make sure it is good? Control is no longer an issue. In all these ways, committing ourselves to God is a freeing, liberating experience.
But sometimes we forget. Sometimes we lapse back into our old managerial role, inquiring into the secrets of God’s working and offering helpful suggestions as to the betterment of life on planet earth. At such times, we need to remember Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” The fact that certain things are none of our business is not meant to insult us; it’s meant to free us from concerns that are unnecessary for us to have.
The role of the Creator is radically different from the role of the creature. As creatures, our role is to “trust and obey,” and that is quite enough to keep us busy. As for God, we can always rest in His sovereignty, knowing that He will do His work very well.
“Keep your heart with all diligence and God will look after the universe” (A. W. Tozer).
Gary Henry — WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
