God Alone Is Sovereign

What does it mean to be Sovereign?  When speaking about man's sovereignty, usually the following remarks will sufficiently cover whatever role a man thinks he has ... the greatest in status, authority or power; supreme, dominant; a ruler, monarch or king; perhaps independent and self-governing. 

While it is true that some men have ruled as such for a short while ... in truth, only God has the right to claim the title of Sovereign, for He is the only one that can fulfill or meet all of these requirements.  Look at some of the things only God can do ...

God, as the Creator of all things, upholds, directs, disposes, and governs ... all ... creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest event to the least, by His wise and holy Providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, with goodness, grace and mercy ... forever.

Yes ... God governs the world, but the truth is, we cannot always see the reasons of His conduct, nor know why He does this, omits that, or permits a third thing.  We will never know or understand the depths that are involved in the government of God; but even so ... all is just and right with what He does.

The way God governs is through His Providence, which is ... "guardianship and control with His foresightful care."

God by His providence governs the world, and has determined particular things and operations to particular times.  And He isn't new at it; He has been doing as He pleases with the earth for a long time now.  God always has a purpose for what He does and even a time when it is to be performed.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ... "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven ..."

Try as you may, you will not always understand God's providence and in many of those times you will not be able to comprehend why He does what He does.

Ecclesiastes 9:1 ... "For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God ..."

Solomon draws this conclusion from what he had seen of the character of God ... that the righteous, the wise, and their conduct, were all in the hand of God, and are in His power.

Ecclesiastes 9:2 ... "All things come alike to all ..."

All things come alike to all ... this is generally very true.  There are general blessings, and general natural evils, that equally affect the just and the unjust.  But God often makes a difference and His faithful followers many times witness interventions of Divine Providence on their behalf.  But there are also many times when they don't see a difference.  But even so, whether He intervenes or not ... in this all is right.

The evils that are in nature are the effects of the fall of man and the sin brought into the world by that fall; and many times God will not alter or suspend natural laws to favor individual cases.  Again, we cannot always see the reasons why He does one thing one time and another thing another time.

There is enough evil in the world to show that man has fallen from God, and enough good in the world to show that God deals with him in mercy.

I cannot see therefore, that there is any rational cause for me personally, to stumble or give up my faith at the way God dispenses His providence to man ... whether I judge such acts to be good or evil in their nature.

The duty then for us in all of this, which is taught by His providence ... is that of patience, perseverance, faith in God, and a belief that He is in perfect control of all things, seen or unseen.

Isaiah 8:17 ... "And I will wait for the Lord, Who is hiding His face ... and I will look for and hope in Him."

The word "hope" means to anticipate with confidence while waiting for the answer even when God seems to distance Himself from our problems.

Exodus 33:19 ... "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."

On whom ... God was saying that His mercy would be distributed according to His sovereign will, and not to all, but to whomever He thought fit to give it.

The Apostle Paul speaks to this in ...

Romans 9:14-15 ... "What shall we conclude then?  Is there injustice upon God's part?  Certainly not!  For he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion (pity) on whom I will have compassion."  (Amplified Bible)

So ... Paul is asking ... To what conclusion shall we come to on the facts before us?  Shall we suggest that God, by bestowing His mercy in this manner, (not to all men, who are in equal circumstances, but to whomever He chooses) is inconsistent with justice and equity, and not being fair and impartial?  Paul is saying ... no, we won't suggest any such thing.

Okay, as I often do, let me state ... "my opinion" ... very plainly so there is no misunderstanding about what I am saying ...

"I believe, because God is Sovereign, He can do and will do whatever He wants, anytime He wants ... and there is nothing anyone can do about it."   Now for my disclaimer ... this is just my opinion, and you know how much that is worth ... not very much.

But I do believe we need to learn that whatever God does is right and just, and most likely needed.  He therefore may dispense His blessings to whomever and with whatever terms He pleases, because every action undertaken by Him is for our ultimate good.  God cannot be wrong.  Or late.  My advise to you is ... if you don't like these facts ... get over it.

We will be better off if we accept the truth that God's ways are higher then our ways; that He can and will do whatever He pleases, and that no man has a right to complain.  Save your breath ... it wouldn't do any good anyway.