1 Timothy 6:15 says that God is in the blessed control of all things, the king over all kinds and the master of all masters. This can make us think: "wow, is God really in control of my life?"
A common question is then "If God is both powerful and good, why is there so much suffering?" There are then two INCORRECT but common assumptions based off of this statement: God is either good and not all powerful or God is powerful and not all good. The Bible teaches us otherwise.
Two common problems keeping people from trusting God:
- We almost always only acknowledge God's intervention when speaking of 'good' events.
- We think that God intervenes at specific points in our lives but is largely only an interested spectator most of the time which leads to the attitude that we are the master of our lives/fates
God's glory, and the good of His people are always in harmony. "God NEVER pursues his glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He over-seek our good at the expense of His glory."
No one can act outside of God's sovereignty or against it. Additionally, nothing is too big or too small. Nothing exists of its own inherent power of being. Nothing in all creation stands or acts independently of the Lord's will. Gravity operates because God continuously wills it to operate. God constantly sustains what He created.
"He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else...For in him we live and move and have our being" - Acts 17:25-28
"Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it" - Lamentations 3:37
"He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'" - Daniel 4:35
We often question God's sovereignty because we don't understand it. An explanation comes from Isaiah 55:9 which says: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Often because God doesn't do something we think he should, we conclude that he can't do those things - this is a lie.
God's love for us does not protect us from pain and sorrow. God tells us that we are worth much more to Him than many sparrows which he indeed cares for. God will not leave us to the mercy of uncontrolled random or chance events. God is involved in an 'invisible' war with Satan - but Satan still must get God's permission to touch any of God's people.
"But that which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an all-powerful and all-loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God's eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good."
We just so often misinterpret what "good" actually is.
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