Fearful or Resting?

Sovereignty.  If you live in a nation that doesn’t have a king or queen, like I do, you probably have a hard time understanding this attribute of God.  Earthly sovereigns are usually people that command some degree of fear from their subjects; yet God’s sovereignty is so much different than what we see in earthly kings and queens.  That’s because God’s sovereignty cannot be separated from his other character traits: love, mercy, compassion, grace, wisdom, and justice.  All of these make up who God is in a perfect balance that we can’t completely comprehend.  Because our own human experience is inherently limited, we sometimes get confused about who God really is in relation to all we experience.  We have a narrow view of God instead of a Biblical view of God.

The point of God’s sovereignty is not to push us down or lord over us that he’s in charge.  The story of Job in the Bible makes it clear that we are not supposed to look at our circumstances using an earthly standard.  God showed Job that there is no standard or criterion higher than himself by which to judge what we see and experience.  The point of God’s sovereignty is that God himself is the standard, and he wants us to submit to his authority so we can rest in his care.  God’s other characteristics work together with his sovereignty, which provides the framework for ALL of who he is to be exercised in full measure.  Without God’s sovereignty, none of his other, perhaps more favorable, character traits would be able to operate correctly. 

The sovereignty of God is a place we can rest in – no matter what life brings and regardless of our inability to fully understand our circumstances.  We need to reach a point where God’s sovereignty becomes a personal place of rest and where we can live our lives in confidence instead of fear because God is sovereign.  Worship is a great start to getting there, like this song by Shannon J. Wexelberg:

            “I am overcome by your goodness

            I am overwhelmed by your lovingkindness

            I am swept away by your mercy

            And I am lifting my hands to the One who fills me.

            I am so amazed at your greatness

            So in awe of what You have done to save us

            I am bowing down to your holiness, my Lord

            I am undone.”

Undone . . . and resting in His sovereignty!