My Sovereign

Recently a dear friend experienced a heart-breaking setback. You don't need the details. We all know how that goes. My friend is a believer, but he is quite confident that God has sovereignly limited His sovereignty to Human Free Will. So I was a bit surprised to hear him say, "It's very difficult, but I'm sure God will use this for good."

It's not that I don't agree. It's absolutely biblical (Rom 8:28). It's absolutely true (Psa 135:6). This particular painful event was human caused, but I know that "none can stay His hand" (Dan 4:35). It is clear statement of fact that God will use this for good.

The part that surprises me is that my friend would be so confident. On what basis? Why would you think that? If God has "stepped back," has tied His own wrists with the bonds of Human Free Will, if this kind of thing happens at the direct will of sinful humans with evil intent and God prevents Himself from doing anything about it, on what would you base your confidence in God's good intentions? Joseph told his brothers, "You intended evil against me, but God intended it for good" (Gen 50:20). But this kind of "limited sovereignty" thinking would require that God didn't intend it at all.

I'm certainly glad that my friend is resting in the hands of the Almighty, confident in His power and goodwill. In times like these it's the only reliably safe place to be. As for me, it is precisely these kinds of circumstances that make it absolutely imperative that the God "who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Eph 1:11) actually does that. For me, that He is actually Sovereign is the greatest comfort I can find in hard times.

P.S. Some might argue that the Sovereignty of God is not what I am claiming. Some might argue that, sure, God is sovereign, but not nearly as sovereign as I'm saying He is. Some might argue that the kind of Sovereignty I am seeing is barely detectable in the Bible. So, without conversation or description, here's a list of references that I might suggest agree with me. Just some of them. Certainly not all. Feel free to look them over for yourself. But, please, don't ask me to subscribe to a Sovereign who denies His own Sovereignty. That offers me no comfort nor confidence either in Him or in Scripture.

Gen 14:18-20; Gen 14:22; Gen 24:3; Exo 8:22; Exo 9:29; Exo 15:18; Exo 18:11; Num 27:16; Deut 2:19; Deut 4:39; Deut 10:14; Deut 10:17; Exo 19:5; Deut 32:8; Deut 32:39; Deut 32:41-43; Jos 2:11; Jos 3:11; 1 Sam 2:6-8; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chron 29:11-12; 2 Chron 20:6; Neh 9:6; Job 9:12; Job 12:9-10; Job 12:16-17; Job 25:2; Job 33:13; Job 34:13; Job 34:24; Job 34:33; Job 36:1-33; Job 41:11; Psa 10:16; Psa 22:28-29; Psa 24:1; Psa 24:10; Psa 29:10; Psa 44:4; Psa 47:2-3; Psa 47:7-8; Psa 50:10-12; Psa 59:13; Psa 65:5; Psa 66:7; Psa 67:4; Psa 74:12; Psa 75:6-7; Psa 76:11-12; Psa 82:1; Psa 82:8; Psa 83:18; Psa 89:11; Psa 89:18; Psa 93:1-2; Psa 95:3-5; Psa 96:10; Psa 97:1-2; Psa 97:5; Psa 97:9; Psa 98:6; Psa 99:1; Psa 103:19; Psa 105:7; Psa 113:4; Psa 115:3; Psa 115:16; Psa 135:5-6; Psa 136:2-3; Psa 145:11-13; Psa 146:10; Prov 16:1-4; Prov 16:9; Prov 21:1; Isa 52:7; Ecc 9:1; Isa 24:23; Isa 33:22; Isa 37:16; Isa 40:22-23; Isa 43:15; Isa 44:6; Isa 45:7; Isa 45:23; Isa 54:5; Jer 10:10; Jer 18:1-23; Jer 27:5-7; Jer 32:27-28; Lam 3:37-38; Lam 5:19; Eze 16:50; Eze 17:24; Eze 18:4; Dan 2:20-21; Dan 2:47; Dan 4:3; Dan 4:17; Dan 4:25; Dan 4:34-35; Dan 4:37; Dan 5:18; Dan 5:26-28; Dan 6:26; Mic 4:7; Mic 4:13; Hag 2:8; Mal 1:14; Matt 6:10; Matt 6:13; Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21; Mat 20:15; Luke 1:53; John 10:29; John 19:11; Act 17:24-26; Rom 9:19; Rom 14:11; 1 Cor 10:26; Eph 4:6; 1 Tim 6:15-16; Heb 1:3; James 4:12; Rev 1:6; Rev 4:11; Rev 11:4; Rev 11:13; Rev 11:17; Rev 19:6.