Settled in the Sovereign Goodness of God

Some months ago, the Holy Spirit dropped a phrase into my mind that seemed important at the time, but which has grown in significance and potency as we face the challenges of the present day. The phrase is this:

“We will never be OK until we are fully settled in the sovereign goodness of God.”

The Scriptures are very clear about the fact that God is ultimately in control of all the affairs of nations and the lives of individuals. Such passages as Psalm 11 speak of His watchful eye, His superintendence of the activity of people, and in fact all of His creation, down to His awareness of the life cycle of sparrows! And we are told, by Jesus Himself, not to be afraid of situations in our lives, because we are much more valuable to the Father than sparrows are (see Luke 12:6-7).

In opposition to this comforting truth rises the activity of wicked people who have in mind the destruction of all that which is good. The language of Psalm 11 is that the wicked take aim with their bows, their weapons of desecration and decay, and shoot at all that are righteous, or in line with the character and purposes of God. There is no doubt that the days we are in seem threatening and dangerous, but here is the reality of it: the sovereign God, who is loving and powerful, is watching and is aware and is orchestrating all things for the good of those who love Him, and have given themselves to His purposes (see Romans 8:32).

Psalm 11 references the emotional tension of righteous people in the face of the strategies of the wicked. The tension is real, and the pressures of lawlessness and evil in our society certainly can have adverse affects. Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:12 that the love of many will grow cold in these days, just because of the pressures of evil influence. In the face of all this, how do we stand firm as the people of God?

Here is our confidence: trust in the sovereign goodness of our Father God. He is strong, He is loving, He is aware, and He is at work in our lives. He directs the decisions of the kings of nations for the ultimate goal of revealing His own glory, and He will never be unfaithful to His own character, to His people, or to His promises.

Our God is good. He cannot act contrary to His own goodness, and those who trust in Him, who rest in the power of His grace given to us through Jesus Christ, released in us by the Holy Spirit, can be at rest, can be OK in the face of distressing times and seasons. God is on the Throne of the universe. He has installed Jesus as King of kings. He laughs at the strategies of the wicked, and He is preparing Himself for the day when He intervenes directly in history once again.

God wants us as His children to live in His peace, but we never will be OK until we are settled in the sovereign goodness of our God.

Gary Wiens

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of ...

I’m writing this article in the immediate aftermath of our national 4th of July celebrations that were quickly followed by the controversial shootings of two men by police officers, and the sniper rampage in Dallas, Texas that killed five police officers and wounded several others. The stark contrast of a celebration of our freedom in America with the increasingly obvious unrest that threatens those freedoms causes me to reflect on what we, as followers of Jesus, are truly called to value and pursue.

In the Declaration of Independence, we assert that we have a God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As American Christians, we have tended to equate that statement with Biblical truth, and have tended to see the fulfillment of the American Dream as the will of God for our lives. However, I want to suggest that, as precious as our freedoms are, they are not the focal point of God’s agenda in the earth. Rather, the thing focused in His mind for us is the knowledge of God and revelation and exaltation of His glory.

If the pursuit of happiness is our purpose, we will find ourselves increasingly frustrated and hopeless in the face of social pressures, economic struggles, disintegrating families, and political unrest that threatens our way of life. The growing perception that our world is uncertain and  unsafe presses on our souls, and makes happiness appear to be a fading dream.

On the other hand, when we embrace the perspective that the knowledge of God and His glory is what is uppermost in His mind, then we have a grid that helps us to interpret His purposes in allowing the events of our time to transpire as they do. All through history, God has revealed Himself as powerful and glorious against the backdrop of troubling human circumstances. He has repeatedly and consistently allowed His people – the ones He loves – to be cornered in seemingly untenable situations so that He might show Himself strong on behalf of those who trust Him. Simply consider the stories of the Bible – the predicament of Joseph before he is raised to a position of authority, the long enslavement of Israel before the incredible demonstrations of power through the Exodus event, the dilemma of the young David under the hand of the tyrannical king Saul, the seemingly hopeless situation facing Daniel and his friends in Babylon – the list goes on and on. It culminates ultimately in the crucifixion of Jesus, the pivotal event in history that demonstrates the knowledge and glory of God through the resurrection of His Son.

In the light of these historical realities, the promise of Matthew 24, that immediately following the time of great tribulation in the earth, Jesus will return in power and glory to gather His people, transform us into His likeness, defeat His enemies on the earth, and establish His eternal Kingdom is a promise that we can hold on to with ultimate hope and joy. He has come in history, He is coming now to strengthen His saints by His Spirit, and He will come again bodily to fulfill every promise He has ever made. 

Since these are the facts of God’s historical interactions with His dearly loved children, why would we assume that suddenly His methodology would change, simply because we think we have a right to happiness in the short term? If happiness is our goal, we will probably not attain it. If the knowledge of God and His glory is our goal, then eternal joy will certainly be the byproduct of that quest. His promise is that He will show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him (2 Chronicles 6:9), but we must see that such loyalty of heart will be tested in the crucible of trying circumstances. As C.S. Lewis so intriguingly wrote, “he is not a tame Lion.” He is not safe, but He is good, and as we align our hearts with His ways and means, we shall indeed know joy and unspeakable delight in His presence.

Reflections of Liberty and What Lies Ahead

On Wednesday, June 29, I was privileged to take part in the Decision America prayer rally led by Franklin Graham in Olympia, Washington. As Franklin addressed the 5000+ folks who attended, he was bold in asserting no confidence in either the Democratic or Republican parties to bring hope to the nation. The strong call was for God to intervene, and for the people of God to repent from sin and turn back to our Father for His will to be done.

In spite of all this, the clear sense I had was that the focus of the prayers of many American believers is really for the restoration of the “good old days” of American prosperity and dominance, rather than what Jesus had in His view when He told us to pray that the Kingdom of God would be established on the earth as it is in Heaven. 

I am so grateful to live in America, and to have had the liberties that citizenship in this nation has granted me. But the Spirit of God calls us to a higher allegiance to His Kingdom, to His ways, to the seeking of His righteousness SO THAT He might have His way for the glory of His own Name. Peace and prosperity in any given nation is a by-product of seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, not the focal point of our prayers. 

Like most Americans, I am deeply troubled by the political, economic, and social upheaval that is current in our world. Like you, I want things to settle down and come once again to peace. However, the simple fact of history is that God has always used the shaking of human foundations to drive His people to the place He wants them – seeking His face, walking in His ways, pursuing His Kingdom as His righteousness above all else. 

Though it is uncomfortable (and perhaps unpopular in American Christian circles) to say this, God’s priority is not the comfort zone of the American Dream. God’s priority is the exaltation of Jesus Christ as King of all kings and Lord of all lords. He is moving all things toward that goal, and the shaking of current systems is the primary indicator that He is actively pursuing the dream of His own heart – that the knowledge of His glory would cover the earth like a mighty ocean.

My prayer is that our hearts will be turned once again to His will and His ways, so that we can escape the prison of our comfort zones, and again walk with Jesus in the pursuit of the Father’s glory.