Hello dear friends,
Today, let’s look at another attribute of our God as revealed to us in Holy Scripture:
But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
— Psalm 115:3
The doctrine of the sovereignty of God is one which faces a lot of criticism and is often misunderstood. With our finite minds, we fail to grasp the full picture of what sovereignty actually means. So, let’s begin by defining terms:
The dictionary defines sovereignty as supreme power or authority. This kind of language is used for countries and governments. In this case, the sovereignty of a given state is described as the authority of a state to govern itself or another state. In other terms, sovereignty can also refer to a self-governing state.
When we apply this attribute to God, we mean to say that God has supreme authority and power. It means that God has the authority to exercise governance over His creation. Because He is the creator of everything that exists, God is therefore the supreme authority over all creation.
Yahweh has established His throne in the heavens,
And His kingdom rules over all.
— Psalm 103:19
Another way to understand this is that there is no authority higher than God. God does not ever have to answer to any other authority. God has no obligation to answer for His actions. This is what the psalmist means when he states that God does whatever He pleases. In the psalm that we’re looking at today, the psalmist says that God is in heaven and He will do whatever He pleases. This is the psalmist’s way of acknowledging that God has ultimate and supreme authority to do whatever it is that pleases Him.
Whatever Yahweh pleases, He does,
In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
— Psalm 135:6
Furthermore, by the simple statement that the psalmist begins with saying that God is in heaven, he establishes that His authority is as eternal as He is eternal. Notice that the psalmist does not say our God was in heaven or that our God will be in heaven, but rather our God currently is in heaven. This is to say that God’s authority extends to the full breadth of time.
In the book of Daniel, we see the prophet highlighting this doctrine of the sovereignty of God by establishing that everything that is on earth is under His authority.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
But He does according to His will in the host of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And no one can strike against His hand
Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’
— Daniel 4:35
Daniel goes further in expressing God’s authority by explaining how there is no other authority that can come against what He has already established. This is the same thing that Job also says with regards to the plans that God has established.
“I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
— Job 42:2
The question that is most relevant for us as believers is what this doctrine means to us. As believers, we need to come to terms with the fact that God is ultimately sovereign. The sovereignty of God means that there’s nothing that happens under the earth or anywhere else that is outside of God’s control. In Holy Scripture, God takes responsibility for everything that comes to pass. He does so for the good of His own pleasure and glory.
Since this is the case, we as believers need to look at everything that comes to pass with a different lens. We should not look at daily events as a result of chance or luck. Rather, we should come to understand that all that happens is a result of God’s own will, either hidden or revealed.
Once we understand this doctrine, our response to everything that goes on is to examine how God is glorified in everything and be able to give Him the glory that He deserves.
I pray and hope that this word will reshape the way we view the world and the events that come to pass, and more importantly, seek to give glory to God in everything that comes to pass.
May grace and peace multiply in your life,
Paul.
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