ROMANS 11:36 – For from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
THEME OF THE DAY. DON’T FORGET HIS RULING AUTHORITY. My day started out well. I was up early, settled down with a nice cup of coffee, and opened my Bible with anticipation of a wonderful time with the Lord. And it was. His Word was food for my soul, challenged my thinking, and warmed my heart. Then my “real day” started to unfold and it wasn’t like I planned. Unexpected situations dropped into my life. My uneventful day off swiftly shifted to a crisis I could not avoid and needed my involvement. As I left my house and proceeded to my office to engage the crisis, I sent a brief text to my wife with these simple words . . . “What a start to the day.” It was a subtle message saying, “I don’t like this. I want a ‘me day’ and it isn’t happening.” Well, I got a quick response back from my wife. Actually two texts sent within seconds of each other. The first one was two words – “King Jesus” and the second was, “Our day ordained by Him.” Okay. That took care of my close to complaining attitude. My responses to her were equally within seconds, “Yeah” and “For sure.”
Friends, whatever difficulty we are encountering; whatever circumstance we are in; whatever situation we find ourselves in; wherever we are currently living and working . . . none came by chance. Every single event, occurrence, our very lots in life, are guided by the sovereign will of our loving God. And in all, He will either change our circumstance, situation and location or enable us to endure and prosper in each. It is the immature Christian who fails to see the Hand of God in all things and attempts to do the impossible – control and change what sovereignty has ordained.
As we consider this truth and apply it to our lives, it all boils down to one thing – how we view Jesus. If we are to live in glad submission to Him, be soft clay in the Divine Potter’s Hands, and respond to “unexpected situations” in our lives which glorify Christ, one simple truth is to be grasped and rested upon – the ruling sovereignty of King Jesus. This means our understanding of Jesus must go far beyond Him being our Savior. To stay only in our knowledge of Jesus as Savior restricts the richness of who He is to us, what He has provided for us, and what is available to help us in the tough calling of living the Christian life in a fallen world. Allow me to propose a question – Have we grown in the grace and knowledge of who Jesus is beyond just the experience of Him saving us from our sins? If not, we are restricting the power of the Gospel in our lives. And yes, the Gospel isn’t just about getting saved. It is for the Christian to feast and rely upon each day of life. It is in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus we find all we need to live the Christian life. One of those needs we find in the Gospel is that Jesus is not only Savior, but ruling King. He is the Sovereign King. The authoritative King. The unrivalled King. The majestic King. The King who has indeed orchestrated everything in our lives for His glory and our good.
When we begin each day recognizing we live under the complete Lordship and protection of King Jesus, then when unexpected things come into our lives, we won’t be quick to complain. We will be quick to praise Him for bringing something into our lives that gives us the opportunity to display His sustaining grace and power. So, start seeing Jesus beyond Savior. He is so so much more to His children!
PRAYER: “Lord, forgive me when I worry and complain about life revealing I have forgotten Your absolute rule in my life.”
QUOTE: “God’s sovereignty is the anchor of the soul and the cause to live above circumstances.”