Tuesday, September 20, 2022

EmmDev 2022-09-20 [Attributes and Names of God] Sovereign

Sovereign

God's Sovereignty is an incredibly difficult concept for us - especially in the context of a broken world.
On the one hand, if God were not sovereign, then there would be things that are not under His control and then He would not be God and would not be enough. On the other hand, if God is sovereign over everything, does this make Him the author of famine, earthquake, war and all the other things that break our world?

David was no stranger to hardship, sorrow and loss and yet in today's reading we find him honouring and exalting God and recognising that the Lord is "ruler of all things."

So how do we understand God's Sovereignty?

The best explanation I can offer is to draw a big circle and then a smaller one inside. From the center of the two circles draw a cross that extends to the width and top of the outer circle and extends below the outer circle (just so that it looks like a cross and not a plus.)

The outer circle is what God allows in order to give humanity the gift of free will. In this circle are all the things that God allows but does not like. Broken humanity and our broken world are responsible for these things and they are not what God wants for us. They are the consequence of humanity squandering the freedom He gave us. Think about parenting: If parent swoops in every time to protect a child from the consequences bad choices made in their freedom, then the child isn't free and child cannot grow.

The inner circle is what God wills - This is when God is at work and intervenes in our lives. This is when we use our free will to respond in obedience to Him. This is where prayers are answered, needs are provided and people do good and beautiful things.

The Cross is where God through His Son, embraces the pain of a broken world and bears its weight. It is where we can find healing and restoration and where that which God allows can, through grace, love and forgiveness can be brought into God's will.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name. (1Chronicles29:11-13)


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