Stones and nature with the words "God is faithful"

What are the attributes of God? Discover and consider a few of God’s attributes through this short blog series. Today’s attribute: sovereignty.

Attributes of God: God is Sovereign

by Amanda Hickernell

 

Everything is under God’s control. Everything. God is sovereign over the whole world. He is never helpless, never frustrated, and never at a loss.

Nothing surprises God. Not your financial situation, not your health struggles, not your job stress, and not your children’s disobedience. God always has and always will work for our good and His glory. Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God’s timing is perfect. Always has been, and always will be.

Nothing will overcome God. The end is already decided. The victory already belongs to God. Sin and death will not have the last word. Jesus broke the chains of death when He died on the cross and rose again. We are guaranteed eternal life with Jesus when we put our trust in Him. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

This is great news! But what does God’s sovereignty mean for us right now?

What Does God’s Sovereignty Mean for Us Right Now?

It means that we can trust Him. We can trust Him to provide everything we need. We can trust Him to provide for our physical needs, our emotional needs, and our spiritual needs. Since He does not always provide in the way we expect, we use the tool that is always at our disposal: prayer. We pray to have eyes to see how He is providing for our every need.

At the end of Genesis, we see that God miraculously brought Joseph, a lowly Israelite, to great power in Egypt. Joseph saved the entire nation of Egypt from a severe famine. God didn’t use an already established Pharoah to save Egypt. Instead, God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery by the hands of his brothers, transported to Egypt, falsely accused of rape, and imprisoned for several years before placing Joseph in just the right spot at just the right time.

 

Many years later, Joseph’s brothers were worried that Joseph would punish them for their horrendous act of selling him into slavery. But instead of responding with anger toward his brothers, Joseph responded with trust in God. Trust in God’s sovereignty. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

 

Joseph looked back over his life and saw that God had worked for his good, Egypt’s good, and his family’s good. Joseph glorified God because he knew that only sovereign God could accomplish such a plan.

Our world seems to move from one crisis to the next. Wars, natural disasters, economic distress, a pandemic… We can easily look at those events and allow ourselves to despair. Instead, let us cling to the only one who is sovereign: God.

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Amanda Hickernell is a member of  The Hallows Church West Seattle Expression. Amanda is a BSF teacher, graphic designer, wife to Jim and mother of two. She is often found leveraging her gifts and time on the Hallows Communication Team, Hallows Women’s Ministry Team, and wearing multiple hats at The Hallows West Seattle Expression.