Day 1

God is Sovereign

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rules, or authorities-- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Colossians 1:15-17

As a child, I did not have unfiltered access to the internet, social media, mobile games, Netflix, or streaming services. During the summer months, my entertainment was fresh air and my imagination. My siblings and I were instructed to leave the house after breakfast, come back for lunch, and then we were released back into the wild until dinner. What we did during those hours was only limited by whether we had money for the community pool and our imagination.

On hot days, we would lounge in our backyard, relaxing under the two huge elm trees, and locked in a super serious debate. The topic of discussion was the greatest superpower of all time. As nine-year-old theologians, you could imagine the veracity of our debates. Invisibility, telepathy, invulnerability, superhuman strength, the ability to fly, the possibilities were endless.

Within Christian theology, there is a similar fierce debate surrounding the sovereignty of God. Now the debate is not IF God is sovereign. The debate typically revolves around the extent to which God applies His sovereignty. In other words, how much control God exerts over humanity.

God’s sovereignty is one of the most important principles in Christian theology. The word sovereignty simply means the supreme authority of an entity to govern itself without external control, i.e. supreme power and independence. The Bible describes God as all-powerful, all-knowing, and outside of the very fabric of time itself. The very first words of our Bible state that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). John 1, Psalm 90, and Colossians 1 all tell us that everything that has ever been created, including time itself, was created by God.

 But this is where it gets difficult.  If God is sovereign and has authority over everything, to what extent does God use that sovereignty? Here’s where we often misconstrue our understanding of God's sovereignty. Many would believe that if God is not directly, purposefully orchestrating some event, then He is somehow not sovereign.   

This theology is most often used when a tragic event unfolds on someone that we deem to be a good person and is worthy of God’s protection and provision. If God chooses not to intervene, then we should question if God actually has the power to intervene in the first place. We assume that God must do anything He can do in the way that we feel that He should, or else He is not truly sovereign.

God, being sovereign, is able to do anything He desires. He could intervene in any situation, stop any evil, or direct any human decision, but He sometimes chooses to act indirectly or even allow certain things to happen for reasons unknown to us. Regardless the outcome, He is still sovereign. What we can say is that everything that happens is the result of God’s permissive will. Does God desire for us to be disobedient to His will? No.  But He allows us to be disobedient. His allowance of our freewill is just as necessary for true sovereignty as His ability to enact His will, whenever, and however He chooses. 

FURTHER REFLECTION: 

 Are there situations in your life today where you begged God to intervene, but for whatever reason, He has not?  Today, would you praise Him for His all-consuming power and authority? The God who created everything, including time itself, created you. He created you to live in communion with Him. This week, how can you further surrender to His authority in your life? 

 PRAYER: 

Father, I need to acknowledge that You are sovereign over all things: life, death, prosperity and success, and poverty and failure. I agree with Your word, which says that You not only have the right to do as You please, but that all You do is good and wise (Psalm 145:17-18; Mark 10:18). I do not deserve any good gift that You give to me.  Thank You for Your provisions, Your wisdom, and understanding.    

FOR FURTHER STUDY:  John 1:1-5, Romans 8