Sweet Sovereignty

One of my favorite things about God is that he's sovereign. He's in control - of everything - all the time! This is no oversimplification. To say that is not overly inclusive, for God says in Scripture that he "works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11, ESV).

This truth keeps me fleeing to this sovereign God in times of trouble. It works to make me humble, thankful, peaceful, happy in Christ, and God-glorifying. It's really good news that God is in control. He reigns!

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” (Isaiah 52:7, ESV)

What sublime news: God reigns! My eyes were filled with this beauty and my ears blessed with this melodious truth when God arranged yesterday and this morning to come together with one message: God reigns! Yesterday I was watching some videos of Mark Driscoll teaching through the book of Nehemiah. In them he referred to the church in the city as a "counter-cultural city within the city." What a great vision! That's what Jesus refers to when he says "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14, ESV).

Driscoll mentioned a guy who wrote along these lines a few hundred years after Jesus ascended to God the Father's right hand. St. Aurelius Augustin wrote a book entitled, "The City of God" that compares and contrasts God's city with the world's city. I thought to myself, "I really want to read that!" And I continued listening to his message.

Usually, in the morning, I read the Bible through a program on my computer that's filled with great electronic books. Lo and behold, this morning, I opened it up and "Book of the Day," which the program selects every morning, contained "The City of God" in it! I don't think I realized that I had that book! But my sovereign God did.

God orchestrated my hearing Driscoll's message. He ordained that he would mention "The City of God." He put the desire into my heart to read that book. By God's good pleasure, that very book popped up in front of my face this morning! And he opened my eyes to see that this was all from his sovereign grace! Yes! My God reigns!

Oh, may he open all of our eyes to see him at work in our lives today. Everything - EVERY THING - is ultimately ordained by God. Ask him to show you his sweet sovereignty in your world and his Word today, because it's true: He "works all things according to the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11, ESV).