God is Sovereign

Sovereignty: the ability to rule or act independent of interference from another.  Have you ever wondered if God is really in control?  All around us we see evil, wickedness  and the dreadful effects of sin.  We may be tempted to ask if God is really in control. We may be tempted to wonder if God even cares. Some may wonder if God is sitting on a throne somewhere and in some twisted way enjoying watching his creation fight and claw their way through life while throwing curve balls at them.  Rest assured God is not that kind of god, although He is in control of everything.

There are five essentials for kings: authority, power, a kingdom, subjects and a position. The Triune God is King and possesses all of these essentials. In fact His sovereignty is infinite, universal, absolute and immutable. An earthly king has all of those things because they have been granted to him by God.  God has all of those things because He is self-established.  Consider 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.

God rules over everything: humans, animals, plants, Sea creatures, nations, angels, everything. Some ask what about Satan? What about evil? The answer is yes He rules over Satan and evil as well. If he did not rule over everything including Satan and evil He would not be God. Another question often asked is why doesn't God just get rid of the evil? The answer is someday He will. Another thought to ponder: if God got rid of evil you and I would be gone. The Bible says there is none righteous; all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 

So why is this important you may ask. Well, if God was not sovereign He would not be God. Sovereignty is part of His nature.

 It is important to us because since God is sovereign, we need not worry about anything. We can fully trust in His ability to rule and because He is God we know that nothing catches Him by surprise. There is nothing that can happen to those who love and obey God that God hasn't intended for our good. To worry is an attack against God's sovereignty. In Daniel 3:16 the Bible says Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. "But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were not afraid of king Nebuchadnezzar. We can have the same confidence as they did when we obey God.