Daily Devotional For Saturday, March 9, 2024

Well, it is now the weekend. For some of you, Saturday is you catchup day. For others of you, it is your fun day. Still, for some it is their day to chill out and rest. Whatever you decide today is, remember every day is the Lord’s. This is why we have to remind ourselves that no matter where we are, no matter who we are with, no matter what we are doing, no matter where we are going, we are to be conscious that God is sovereign. What does sovereign mean? The dictionary defines sovereign this way:

• As a noun — “ruler, monarch, supreme ruler, Crown, crowned head, head of state, potentate, suzerain, overlord, dynast, leader; king, queen, emperor, empress, prince, princess, tsar, royal duke, grand duke, elector, crown prince, princeling, prince regent, mogul, baron, liege (lord), lord, emir, sheikh, sultan, maharaja, and raja.”
• As an adjective — supreme, absolute, unlimited, unrestricted, unrestrained, unbounded, boundless, infinite, ultimate, total, unconditional, full, utter, paramount; principal, chief, dominant, predominant, ruling; royal, regal, kingly, monarchical, independent, self-governing, autonomous, self-determining, self-legislating; nonaligned, free, effective, efficient, powerful, potent, efficacious, effectual; practical, useful, productive, helpful, valuable, worthwhile; excellent, outstanding, reliable, unfailing; informal and sure-fire.”

To say that “God is sovereign” means God has absolute rule as Lord over this universes to rule, to decide as He sees fit without question, limitation, resistance to His decisions. To help us understand this, Chuck Swindoll writes this:

“Sovereignty is a difficult concept to grasp in our age of democracy and the rule of law. Earlier civilizations understood the concept of absolute sovereignty all too well. In those days, rulers governed at their own discretion without having to consult anyone, and their decisions were absolute. Kings answered to no one, and the moral code of the land was determined by what they declared right and wrong. When neighbors had a dispute, they took their cases before the king, who then settled the matter by whatever standard he favored—even if that standard changed from day to day based on his mood. His decision was final; his word became law. 

People trembled before greedy, selfish, ignorant kings and longed for kind, generous, wise rulers. Of course, the ultimate Sovereign is God. While a human king might be murdered, overthrown, or invaded, God cannot die, and He cannot be unseated from His throne. He answers to no one. His rule is absolute, His decisions permanent. Our moral code—the definition of right and wrong—is determined by His righteous and unchanging character. All must conform to His standard or suffer the consequences of their rebellion. 

Fortunately, our omnipotent King is good and kind, merciful and patient. Our troubles begin, however, when our desires conflict with God’s and we refuse to acknowledge His sovereignty, His right to rule over His creation” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Living the Proverbs: Insight For the Daily Grind, Kindle Edition, pp. 148-149).

When it comes God’s rule in our lives, Solomon wrote this in Proverbs 9:10-11, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (11) For by Me your days will be multiplied,  and years will be added to your life” (ESV). When we respect God’s sovereignty or absolute rule in our lives, we have a certain amount of fear and respect for Who God is. God is omnipotent. Meaning God is all-powerful. There is no limit on HIs power as with us. Solomon writes this in Proverbs 10:29, “The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers” (ESV).

Our God is a mover, a shaker and a shaper. Look at Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will” (ESV). God is not only in control, He shapes world events according to His eternal plans and purposes. Sometimes we may question, or fear or not understand why God has us where He does. Take for example, chief sex trafficking investigator Daniel Walker’s story. Read this below:

In his book God in a Brothel, investigator Daniel Walker recounts his attempts to infiltrate brothels and gather evidence so he could release women and children from sex trafficking. He describes how he overcome his initial fears with a deep-seated confidence in God's sovereign rule—even in a despicable brothel:

I had not been conducting investigations into sex trafficking for very long, and being inside a brothel still left me feeling vulnerable and afraid. I was afraid of my sinful nature. I was afraid of perpetrators and corrupt officials who were profiting from organized crime. And I was afraid of going into what I perceived as enemy territory.

But as he closed his eyes and prayed, suddenly God completely changed his perspective:

A still, voice reminded me that "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4 KJV) …. The words of an old hymn came to mind: "This Is My Father's World." Again I saw for the first time that the brothel I was standing in was as much a part of God's creation as any beautiful mountain or crystal cathedral, and that God had in no way surrendered it to anyone.

I knew that God was in that brothel before I arrived, suffering with [victims of sexual trafficking], witnessing [their] defilement night after night and sharing in [their] tears, and that he would remain in the brothel long after I left. Any uncertainty I previously had about walking into such a dark and "evil' place vanished.

Though not in an audible sense, I nevertheless heard his command and his call to go boldly in his name to such places as these, to rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and to plead for the widow” (Source: Daniel Walker, God in a Brothel, pp. 30-31).

So, the big question is then: how does a person’s free will fit in with God’s Sovereignty? Christian pastor and author A. W. Tozer answer this question below in his book Knowledge Of The Holy:

"An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it. This is at least a faint picture of sovereignty. On board the liner are scores of passengers. These are not in chains, neither are their activities determined for them by decree. They are completely free to move about as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck, read, talk, altogether as they please; but all the while the great liner is carrying them steadily onward toward a predetermined port. Both freedom and sovereignty are present here, and they do not contradict. So it is, I believe, with man's freedom and the sovereignty of God. The mighty liner of God's sovereign design keeps its steady course over the sea of history” (Source: https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/july/768.html). 

Another way to look at God’s sovereignty is how Christian authors Andreas Kostenberger, Darrell Bock, and Josh Chatraw explain in their book:

“Think of it this way: A basketball coach could call a time-out for any number of reasons at any different point in a ball game. He might see a flaw in the opponent's defense, for example, that he thinks his team could exploit with a hastily designed play. He might want to stop a flurry of momentum or a hot hand by one of the opposing players. He might use it to try icing a free-throw shooter. He might use it to stop the clock near the end of the half or regulation. He might use it to force an instant-replay review of a questionable call by the officials.

That's six different options right there. And they're all determined not by fixed logarithms but by the flow of the game, the nature of the opponent, the time left on the shot clock or the game clock—any of these factors and many others could dictate his purpose in asking for a stoppage in play. Plus it's all dictated by the coach's unique, personal knowledge of his players, his awareness of what each of them can do, what makes them perform best, what puts them in the best position to win the game.

Why must God's decisions for our lives be any different?” (Source: Andreas Kostenberger, Darrell Bock, and Josh Chatraw, Truth Matters: Confident Faith in a Confusing World (B&H Publishing, 2014).

So, when it comes to God’s sovereignty, God's will and purpose cannot be thwarted. It cannot be stopped or postpone. Everyone is like clay in the Potter’s hands. Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand” (ESV). Look at what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 9:20-21, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, `Why have you made me like this?’ (21) Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” (ESV).

Meaning — nothing is outside of God’s domain, control, rule, and sight. 

Questions To Consider

• Does your life reveal that you live your life so that it says “God is sovereign?” Why or why not?
• Since God is sovereign, then even where evil exists, God is there. Why is this true?
• Do you believer that everyone must ultimately submit to God’s standard or suffer the consequences? Why or why not? When has God’s standards made you suffer the consequences for not submitting to God’s sovereignty in your own life?
• At times it does seem that sin and evil get the upper hand, but this is only temporary. Why?
• What do you think about Daniel Walker’s story above and God’s sovereignty and why?

Scripture To Meditate On: Ecclesiastes 3:14, “I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before Him” (ESV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, You are Sovereign King and Lord over all. There is no one like You. You speak, and things come into existence out of nothing. Your will cannot be ultimately prevented. It is my prayer God that I will always say, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Meaning Lord, I want Your sovereign will always done in my life. Lord, I submit to You all that I am to all of Who You are. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! — Pastor Kelly