Friday, July 22, 2016

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

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