The Ultimate Sovereign

        Sovereign is defined as "Being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc." and "A person who has supreme power and authority." As we can see from the bible, God is sovereign in both of these aspects. Isaiah says in Isaiah 14:27 "For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?" In Proverbs 16:9, Solomon says "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." The fact that God is sovereign means He has supreme authority over everything; not in the same way as a king or queen of earth but as the supreme Lord of all creation, with control of everything. The fact that He is sovereign also means his character is impeccable, unlike all of humanity.

 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are your ways my ways,

declares the Lord. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

~Isaiah 55:8-9

         Because He is sovereign over all, His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. As the heavens from the earth, they are above, set apart, immensely vast, never fully knowable. "But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand His plan, that He has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor." (Micah 4:12). Many times things happen in our life we don't understand, or we may just be going through a hard time. However, God does understand and He knows what is best for you in every situation. While we can never truly understand the ways of our Lord, we can grow in our knowledge of Him. 

       Knowing that God is sovereign, we can then be assured that however crazy things may get, and however much stupid stuff He allows us to do, He is still ultimately in control. Since He is in control, we can rest in this fact. Therefore, we can have a peace in the midst of our lives. 

       Peace generally describes harmonious relationships with people, and a sense of rest and contentment. Through the gospel, we can have peace with God, because "He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near." (Ephesians 2:17) The idea of peace is a very important one, and it occurs in every New Testament book except for 1 John. Jesus became a man, and therefore He felt what man felt. He knew man struggled with peace, and He knew he could provide it. Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God, and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." and 1 Corinthians 14:33 says "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." and John 16:33 says "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." 

       Jesus came to bring us peace, and break the barrier between us and God. Through Jesus and through our knowledge of our sovereign Lord, we can have peace. "But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility." (Ephesians 2:13-14)

        So let us live in the fullness of His peace. He is in control. He is righteous. He is Good. He loves us. 

        May you "Let the peace of Christ rule in  your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:15) 

Are you living in the knowledge of God's sovereignty and resting in His peace?