2.3 Essay — God Runs the Show.
It has been my observation that Job clearly understood the sovereignty of God. This notion of sovereignty states: He owns and rules everything he has ever made, enforces every directive He’s ever issued, fulfills every prophecy He’s ever spoken, and loves every person He has ever created.
If there was even one element of knowledge however small, that was unknown to God, then his sovereignty would not exist. He must possess knowledge of everything. If there was one little bit of power or holiness that he did not possess, then he would not be the sovereign God who rules this earth and the universe. In fact, he would be a limited god who would be subordinate to some other creature or being in this universe (lower case usage intentional). Job states – “God’s power and knowledge is unlimited; He needs no teachers or mentors to guide or correct him.” (Job 36:22 paraphrased).
So, if we view God as sovereign, then we also view Him as absolutely free to do whatever He chooses. He can carry out any action at any time for any reason without interference. Were He less than this, He would not be sovereign. “The Lord does whatever pleases him.” (Psalms 135:6).
Sometimes you hear a human say – I am free as a bird, but we all know this statement is rhetorical at best. A high school student knows that a free bird lives in a world fraught with instinctive aggression and is easily crushed. The bird’s freedom is limited by weather conditions, air pressure, local food supply, even though the bird’s capacity to fly is limited by their wingspan and their personal strength. The concept of ‘free as a bird’ is a bit silly. Only God is infinitely free.
To say that God has complete and absolute authority does not have much meaning if He must ask permission from anyone to accomplish a task.
The notion of sovereignty proclaims there is nothing or no one who can hinder Him, interfere with Him, restrict Him, compel Him, or stop Him. He possesses absolute authority, absolute truth, absolute power, rendering absolute judgment on all things. But to say that God has complete and absolute authority does not have much meaning if He must ask permission from anyone to accomplish a task. To whom would God go for this permission? Who is higher? Who Controls God? Who has more power or more intelligence? “I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:5).
I have learned from reading A.W. Tozer that “God sovereignly decrees we are free to exercise moral choice. All of us from the beginning have fulfilled that freedom by making a choice between good and evil.”
Therefore, when we say that man can choose evil, we are not saying that he works against the sovereign will of God but in as much as we are saying God’s providence (free will) grants us the ability to walk away from God guidance and plan. We read in Joshua “If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
All things were made by the Word, all things that we can see, feel, touch, hear, and smell.
All things that exist outside our senses. Even our ability to feel emotions and
to create thoughts were made by God.
It is a sure fact – the one true living God has foreknowledge; he knows every thought and choice we will make from the beginning to the end of our life. His sovereignty drives the plan for our life that reflects our decisions and actions. Nothing can get in the way of His plan. Nothing.
The sovereignty of the one true living God is serious stuff; He runs the show. It is an amazing fact our thoughts, decisions and actions are considered when the plan is set. We need him, he does not need us. I choose Jesus.