Scripture is not silent when it comes to the question of God's sovereignty in our suffering. Lungs will be restored. Second, God sometimes chooses to take a faithful believer home well before age 70 or 80, not because of sin or foolish decisions, but simply as part of His divine plan (whether by martyrdom, an accident, or an illness). 1:13-19). As the creatures in Revelation repeat, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” He alone is almighty. In His Sovereign majesty God dwelt all alone. Safety is our responsibility because. Sovereignty in relation to God means that God has the absolute right to do with His creation as He desires. God’s Sovereignty over Suffering Is Comforting, Not Disturbing; Previous September 11, 2019 Next. God rules over all things. It is vitally important to understand that even though God ordains and uses suffering, He does not commit sin or evil. Your email address will not be sold, distributed, rented, or in any way given out to a third party. In this video, Dave Furman, author of Being There: How to Love Those Who Are Hurting, shares his story of debilitating need, resilient care, and finding the help that only God can supply. The term sovereignty is rarely found in recent translations of Scripture, but it represents an important biblical concept. So we ask, "When God brings suffering into our lives, what will be our reaction?" As God, He has complete and final authority over everyone and everything. There is a scene in the Civil War motion picture Gods and Generals that is telling. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He cares,” as though two realities––God’s sovereignty and His lovingkindness––can’t coexist. Brent Hill | 19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. While the sovereignty of God is infinite, the use of His power is defined by His other attributes. He's drawing us closer and teaching us things about himself. The idea that “God is in control” seems like it honors God because many mistakenly think that absolute control over everything at every moment is a … Second, God sometimes chooses to take a faithful believer home well before age 70 or 80, not because of sin or foolish decisions, but simply as part of His divine plan (whether by martyrdom, an accident, or an illness). 19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all (Psalm 103:19). Sovereignty of God – How is it seen? As Christians, our ultimate hope and comfort can only be found in Jesus and what Paul refers to as the “eternal weight of glory” being prepared for God’s children as they endure suffering. Jesus begged the Father to take the cup of suffering from Him (Matt. We must realize that everything He is doing is perfect, just, and righteous. God is in control over every swell of the waves. “If there is one maverick molecule in all the universe, then God is not sovereign. He's not just in control—he's also good. God is growing our faith in the midst of our trials. Learn more or donate today at. In the book of Job, we actually see that no purpose of God's can be thwarted. In most cases, illness and death are a natural outcome of the evil caused by man's sin, which affects our bodies and all of nature around us. If we aren’t careful when reading some of these passages, it can seem as if God and Satan are in a cosmic battle of good versus evil where God is always simply reacting to Satan’s strategic moves—playing defense, in a sense. When lightening begins to strike. As the glimmers of dawn break forth, Jackson calls out to God, asking for His will be done. God is in control over every swell of the waves. Verse Concepts. The Bible verses below are far from exhaustive, and each should be interpreted according to its genre and context. Ps. by Matt Slick 11/25/2008 . When life feels out of control, it can be comforting to remember that we’re never out of the sight of our Creator—and he never loses control. We should not come to God in an accusatory way, as if we know a better plan. But God does. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all." So while we believe in God’s sovereignty, we also mourn and despise evil because it is the antithesis of our good God. But I am convinced that these verses—rightly interpreted—definitively establish God’s absolute sovereignty over all things. God’s sovereignty refers to God’s supreme position and absolute power as the Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler over creation. Of course, such a cartoonish view of God’s sovereignty is logically false. Permitting and Limiting Trials. God’s Sovereignty over Suffering Is Comforting, ... say, “God didn’t cause your pain. Some verses that support this are as follows: Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." The Bible affirms that God is sovereign over the storms of this life and that he has good in store for his people in their suffering. He knows in advance what is going to happen, and if He decrees that it shall happen, He is retaining His sovereignty over it. It is certainly more difficult to see how God is working for our good in suffering, but does this mean He can’t be intimately involved in it? He hates it, and He grieves with you. Because God hath asserted his sovereignty over the intellect as well as the body. So many of the teachings on God's sovereignty flinch when it comes to suffering. But God makes that promise, and millions throughout history have testified to its truth because God has proven His ability to back it up time and … And since compatiblism is true, none of this contradicts the equally biblical teaching that Satan is “the god of this world” (2 Cor. There's more to your trial than meets the eye. For the one impacted by the loss of a loved one to suicide, the sovereignty of God over and in their choice is generally a subject to avoid. As of 12:27pm today, I was officially done with celebrating Christmas. Dave Furman (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) serves as the senior pastor of Redeemer Church of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which he planted in 2010. What about when you get the test results back and it’s diabetes, multiple sclerosis or cancer? And in case that doesn't quite click with us yet, Jesus says in the Great Commission to all believers in Matthew 28 that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. The answer to our fear, stress, pain, and trials is not to merely stand tall and wait for the storm to pass, but to remember that God is in control and he is good. He is enthroned, and his throne is a symbol of his sovereignty. They picture God as passively watching and waiting for us to make our choices as free human agents and then adjusting His plan to fit our preferences. God reveals himself to man in very deliberate ways. This book will help us see the way God designs and uses trials for our good, encouraging us to embrace the God who is always near, even in our suffering. God is growing our faith in the midst of our trials. Helpful but Hopeless. We praise God and adore Him in our prayers because He is sovereign. Evil exist. Piper has addressed the issue of God’s sovereignty over evil very well: One of the burdens of this [Jonathan Edwards Institute] Conference, and certainly one of the burdens of my life, is the recovery of a "God-entranced world-view." Christmas is over. The Sovereignty of God is an expression that once was generally understood. Sproul. God Sovereignty over Good and Evil. 2. If things happen in this world outside the sovereignty of God, then that would simply mean God is not sovereign. 1 Chronicles 29 says of God, "You rule over all." The cartoon version of sovereignty depicts a God who must do anything that He can do, or else He is not truly sovereign. God's Sovereignty Over Suffering. Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom [his sovereignty] rules over all.” Psalm 103:19, NIV Depression will be turned to endless joy, and we will finally see clearly the works of the Lord. Osanyin, Yoruba orisha of herbalism cure all diseases; Jengu, water spirits that bring good fortune and cure disease!Xu, sky god of the Bushmen of southern Africa who is invoked in illness; Sonzwaphi, deity of healing, Zulu mythology Armenian. What the Bible says about God's Sovereignty Over Our Lives ... See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. — C.H. medication, pesticides, and household cleaners. But what about when the doctor tells you your child has leukodystrophy, Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis? 13:1; Heb. There will be no childcare provided. Some verses that support this are as follows: Psalm 115:3, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." And since compatiblism is true, none of this contradicts the equally biblical teaching that Satan is “the god of this world” (2 Cor. In his speech at Pentecost Peter says of Jesus: This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross (Acts 2:23 NIV). A sovereign is a ruler, a king, a lord, and Scripture often refers to God as the one who rules over all.His most common proper name, Yahweh (see Ex. None of us know when we will die. I was placed on life support that assisted my breathing for 16 days and then God, in His sovereignty, provided new life. Always. 5 For I know that the LORD is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. God’s sovereignty means He is in absolute control over all things (Colossians 1:16–17; Psalm 90:2; 1 Chronicles 29:11–12). A simple dictionary definition sheds helpful light on this deep subject. He is sovereign. This sounds great when God puts you in a certain location at a certain time, which led to the new job you’ve been hoping for, or when you look back at all the things that came together for you to meet your spouse. And God's sovereignty is demonstrated in each type of prayer. Almost immediately, things do not go well fo… Cancer will be gone. Defining God’s Sovereignty. 20 Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command.… God Over All. As believers, we take comfort in the hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ. In 1 Thessalonians 3:5 Paul says, “For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.” But it's also the stories of those who taught him, and teach him, how to walk with joy in sorrow. God is sovereign, righteous, omnipotent, omniscient and loving. What purpose is this illness serving?” And there have been other times where I’ve praised God for bringing me closer to Him through my illness. Nothing escapes his divine gaze, nothing surprises him, and nothing comes to pass that he didn't ordain. There is a great mystery in the relationship between God’s sovereignty and the existence of evil. Sovereignty in relation to God means that God has the absolute right to do with His creation as He desires. Safety is ultimately a matter of God's sovereignty because. And if God is not sovereign, He is not God at all.” R.C. Despite the fact that sin and evil, with all their consequences, have taken hold of mankind, there is nothing that happens without God's allowance. The prophet Elijah is “possessed” and “driven” by God’s sovereignty to the point of issuing an epic challenge to 450 priests of Baal. Safety is ultimately a matter of God's sovereignty because. Nothing can, in principle, affect or hinder God. It speaks first of position (God is the chief Being in the universe), then of power (God is supreme in power in the universe). the bible tells us God rules over all events. God is doing more in your suffering than you can see right now. I am sixty-eight and in good health. There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s sovereignty (…) for it is God upon the Throne whom we trust." Too much worry only make us depressed and sorrowful. Anahit, goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. God’s sovereignty is a place of rest for the child of God, as well as a cause of worship (cf. However, when we come to Him broken and weary with questions to which we don’t have answers, God is not intimidated or frustrated by our petitions. As Christians, we can see depression as a chance to rely on God’s promises and to imitate Jesus in endurance and faith. Regardless of whether God actively inflicts an illness or passively allows it, we can see His ultimate purposes: to bring glory to Himself and to reveal His nature to us. The sovereignty of God is one of those theological ideas that causes some significant challenges in the lives of believers. My battle with cystic fibrosis, a genetic lung disease, has brought about many painful days. God is the "sovereign Lord of all by an incontestable right [as the] creator . Ephesians 1:11 This entry was posted on June 21, 2019, in Christian living, Chronic illness, Prayer, Trials and tagged Casting our cares, Chronic illness, Comfort, Faith, God is enough!, God's sovereignty, God's Word, God’s love, God’s presence, Grace for trials, Hope in hard places, Questions, Renewing our minds, Suffering, Testing, Trials, Trust. The one who is prowling about, seeking your destruction (1 Pet. In the great expanse of eternity which stretches behind Genesis 1:1, the universe was unborn and creation existed only in the mind of the great Creator. Clayton Johnson – The Sovereignty Of God Over Health. 5:8) is simply a pawn in the hands of God who loves you and always does what is best for you. Elijah and his God … He has authority over all powers. The Bible is clear that God is in control over every square inch of the world. The Sovereignty of God in the COVID-19 Pandemic “ The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to … God is in control, and he is good. When lightening begins to strike. The most frequent objection to His sovereignty is that if God is truly sovereign, then man cannot be free. Psalm 107 says we should give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and that his love endures forever. God is most free; that is, His freedom is unlimited. Is God Sovereign Over Illness and Suffering. But God does. 1. Psalm 115 says that God does all that he pleases. In the most basic sense, God causes all things to be (Hebrews 1:3). That means that our pain is not an accident. the bible tells us God rules over all events. 1 Chronicles 29:11 The Sovereignty of God. Bless the LORD, O My Soul … 18 to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts. But even now God is sovereign over all. We will never know what would happen the next moment. Ten years after his cancer diagnosis, Matt Chandler reflects on what the Lord has taught him through his suffering. You can trust him. I’ve experienced the doctor walking in with bad news, treatments not working as we hoped they might, painful tests and procedures and the emotional toll of knowing that the median life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis is less than 40. Inhaled poisons. 1:12; Job 2:6), which should bring the believer an immense amount of comfort. Bible Verses about God's Sovereignty over the Nations; Bible Verses about God's Sovereignty over the Nations. 24:6-7) to the personal account of Job losing everything he held dear (Jb. Be encouraged by the following Scriptures about God’s sovereignty with commentary from the ESV Study Bible, and rest knowing he rules over all. Ingested poisons. Jesus went through Israel healing all manner of sickness and disease (Matthew 4:23) and even raised Lazurus from the dead after illness killed him. The Bible affirms that God is sovereign over the storms of this life and that he has good in store for his people in their suffering. God’s sovereign power over all his creation and over every one of his creatures is one of the grandest themes through the Bible. As far as taking down Christmas ornaments and cleaning up the debris from all the celebrating, well that… How great is our God! Dave Furman's Story: Finding Help in Suffering. It’s easy to clearly see God working for our good in those situations. Clayton Johnson - The Sovereignty Of God Over Health. Spurgeon. However, we learn in Job that Satan cannot act without God’s permission (Jb. But I am convinced that these verses—rightly interpreted—definitively establish God’s absolute sovereignty over all things. Dave and his wife, Gloria, have four children. God's Sovereignty and Your Mistakes I'm continually amazed at the number of people who argue with the idea that God has a detailed master plan that governs our lives. While I would have never wanted to go through that experience, I rested in the fact that God is in control and that He is good. Numerous biblical texts explicitly teach that God exerts complete sovereignty and meticulous control over all the so-called forces of “nature.” I … God is doing more in your suffering than you can see right now. – Dr. Norman Geisler 1 "The word means principal, chief, supreme. The movie follows the rise and fall of Civil War hero General Thomas Jackson, and does not try to hide his Christianity. While we believe in God’s sovereignty, we also mourn and despise evil because it is the antithesis of our good God. Some people say we shouldn’t question God and His ways, and to an extent, this is true. May 30, 2018. Because God dominates over the fate of everyone. ... is a life-threatening condition brought on by a serious injury or illness. The writer well recalls an incident which occurred in England over twenty years ago. Here, we want to share some verses about the sovereignty of God, in the hope that through reading these verses, we can bare our souls and learn to obey the sovereignty and arrangements of Him. Who else is worthy of praise? But a sovereign God is over everything, including evil. 135:6; Prov. Sovereignty (Pronounced SOV ur un tee) in the Bible is often expressed in the language of kingship: God rules and reigns over the entire Universe. It was a theme frequently expounded in the pulpit. We are meant to trust in God’s sovereignty in the midst of depression. seek shelter in a building that is grounded. But Jesus corrects the disciples in John 9 who thought like this by saying, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” We can also seek comfort in doctors or medical technology (and believe me, I’m incredibly thankful for brilliant minds and technological advancements), but it’s still God who makes the medicine work or steadies the hand of the surgeon. So, we believe in both of these truths. If you've benefited from our resources, would you consider giving back to help us continue helping men, women and children as they find their place in God's story? That means that our pain is not an accident. God works through our weakness to bring glory to his name and make it absolutely clear that it's him who's at work. Sometimes the broad, sweeping concepts are the hardest for my finite mind to comprehend. It can be easy to trust in the Lord in times of joy and ease, but how do we view Him in the midst of illness and suffering? He cannot be opposed. Part 1 focuses most specifically on the sovereignty of God in and over suffering. Christ…“is the head over every power and authority” (Colossians 2:10, emphasis added). 1:11; Ps. This little booklet doesn't flinch from the terrifying wonder of God, and the truth is Light and freedom and healing. Scripture is clear that God is in control of all things and sovereign over them (Rom. Introduction. He delights in us coming and laying our burdens at His feet. At times, He miraculously heals sickness. . God's power and sovereignty allow Him to use even the direst of circumstances to bring about His sovereign will. And we love to celebrate this magnificent reality over and over on the podcast, so often that it may be a little daunting for newcomers to the theme. Having shown that Sovereignty characterises the whole Being of God, let us now observe how it marks all His ways and dealings. At the same time, we have to understand his sovereignty in light of his character. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. The Bible verses below are far from exhaustive, and each should be interpreted according to its genre and context. God’s sovereignty can become a wall that will push us away from God or a safe haven we run to when nothing else makes sense. In Scripture, we see God working through the fallenness of our world to bring about great pain and suffering for His glory and the good of His people, ranging from the widespread plagues (Ex. The promise itself is a testimony to God’s sovereignty. Email Address: We respect your privacy. They say it's satan and God has nothing to do with it. Prepared especially for the Davao Covenant Reformed Church, Davao City, the Philippines David H. Linden, Nov. 2020. If we learn to rest in the sovereignty of our God, we will experience His indescribable peace in our lives. Don’t Let Go of God’s Sovereignty over Your Worst August 08, 2018 by: Cameron Cole. In speaking on the matter of theodicy, and God’s sovereignty over evil, a key text of Scripture is Exodus 21:12-13, one of the many ordinances against personal injury that God established for the nation of Israel: He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. He is good. The answer to our fear, stress, pain, and trials is not to merely stand tall and wait for the storm to pass, but to remember that God is in control and he is good. This morning I took my daughter to get her ears pierced, one of her Christmas presents. He's drawing us closer and teaching us things about himself. We love creating practical, discipleship resources to help you know and love God more. Daniel 7:9. "Sovereignty is God's control over His creation, dealing with His governance over it: Sovereignty is God's rule over all reality." God's will is supreme. Why is safety also our ... a life threatening condition brought on by a serious injury or illness. 1:3; Eph. 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