The Old Testament writers always portrayed Yahweh as a Sovereign God. That which He did was an outworking of His holy nature and will; His action was never forced on Him by another.

    When Moses summarized the Law for Israel, he told them,

    Acknowledge and take to heart this day that [Yahweh] is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other (Deuteronomy 4:39). To [Yahweh] your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. For [Yahweh] your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes (Deuteronomy 10:14, 17).

    Hannah's great prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 extols Israel's Sovereign God:

    My heart rejoices in [Yahweh]. There is no one holy like [Yahweh]; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God (1-2). [Yahweh] brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. [Yahweh] sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are [Yahweh]'s; upon them he has set the world (6-8).

    The Psalms frequently express the sovereignty of God.

    Let [the enemies of Israel] know that you, whose name is [Yahweh]-that you alone are the Most High over all the earth (Psalm 83:18). I know that [Yahweh] is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. [Yahweh] does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths (Psalm 135:5-6).

    The New Testament also emphasizes the sovereignty of God. Ephesians 1:11 says:

    In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. (Emphasis added.)

    If God is Absolute, then He must be Sovereign. His attribute of Sovereignty means that He alone is in control and is subject to no other power. This in no way prevents Him from responding in mercy to those in need. He is not indifferent. As His children, we are often the recipients of His love and generosity as He answers prayer.

    But He is always Sovereign. Nothing will ever force God to act contrary to His will.

    What does it mean to me that God is Sovereign? It means that nothing can happen to me that is outside of His control.

    I know that is true. Yet it can sometimes be very difficult to trust God as though He is in full control.

    Several weeks after I started writing this book, God in His sovereignty decided that I was ready for some additional lessons in faith. While I was sleeping, I had a severe diabetic insulin reaction. I came very close to death and was taken to a hospital emergency unit by ambulance.

    My state's Department of Motor Vehicles requires that any loss of consciousness be reported. With great trepidation, I complied. I discovered that their report form makes no distinction between a seizure whether one is asleep in bed or driving in downtown traffic!

    I was notified by the Department of Motor Vehicles office that I had 60 days to complete medical evaluation to maintain my driver's license. Then, because of a communication oversight, I was notified three weeks later that my license was being suspended immediately. My license was reinstated, though I likely face years of supervision by the State licensing department.

    This occurred while I was looking for employment. I work as an electrician for a temporary agency because temporary employment gives me greater flexibility for Christian ministry. I had recently finished an 11-month assignment and was in the process of being placed again. Driving is almost mandatory. Since I am in my late 50s, this has been a time of turmoil for me and my wife.^[1]

    ^[1] This was originally written five years earlier. Three years later I had an insulin reaction on the job which resulted in termination at age 61. With a poor economy, I was unable to find new employment. After being unemployed for a year, I was forced to take a substantially reduced retirement. The year without work was a time of both financial struggle and significant advance in ministry which could not have occurred had I been employed.

    This was not a lesson in faith I was looking for!

    It is relatively easy to acknowledge that God is working in our lives when everything is going smoothly. But are we willing to recognize His sovereignty when there is great upheaval?

    Some kinds of adversity cause us to mistrust God's sovereignty more than others. When something occurs which appears to be unfair or unjust or singles us out arbitrarily for a hardship which we feel we do not deserve, we are more prone to question God's sovereign control.

    God does not exercise His sovereignty on our behalf only in ways that are just or fair. He is still the same Sovereign God when our world has turned upside down for unexplainable or foolish reasons. This is where we must learn to live by faith.

    Recognition of God's sovereignty in all circumstances of our lives is a wonderful antidote for bitterness. The sin of bitterness can destroy a believer's life of faith. Hebrews 12:15 gives a special warning:

    See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

    There is a perturbing question that arises when you acknowledge the sovereignty of God in all events of your life. Does this mean that you can never attempt to right a wrong? If someone unjustly mistreats you, must you passively endure its full fury because God's sovereignty dictates it?

    There is no single answer to this question. At times, attempting to correct the mistreatment would be entirely appropriate. At other times, however, God may intend for you to face adversity with no apparent relief.

    The Apostle Paul experienced two similar crises, but apparently responded quite differently in each situation. While he was in Jerusalem, a crowd of rabble-rousers created a public disturbance in order to implicate him. When Paul was brought into the garrison for scourging, he asked the centurion:

    "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" (Acts 22:25)

    As a Roman citizen, Paul was guaranteed trial before he could be legally punished. In this case, he invoked that privilege in order to avoid being flogged.

    In another incident at Philippi, however, he and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. In Acts 16:22-23 the magistrates ordered that they be flogged without trial (verse 37). The order was carried out "severely." The next morning, after the fact, Paul refused to be released and invoked both his and Silas' citizenship (verses 35-39). The magistrates were alarmed because they had acted illegally and could be subject to severe censure from Rome.

    Why did Paul seemingly submit to a flogging in one situation, and invoke his citizenship in another? Scripture does not give an answer. I can only surmise that during the incident in Philippi God directed Paul and Silas to accept the injustice despite their legal protection. Clearly, God wanted Paul and Silas in prison because He was going to do a wonderful work in the jailer's life. This Roman jailer would not only influence his entire family, but ultimately—as tradition records—the city of Philippi itself. We do not know if God placed them under this jailer's custody through circumstances that Paul and Silas could not control, or if God actually led them to remain silent, resulting in their flogging.

    Paul's experience does not clarify when you must submit to an injustice as an outworking of God's sovereignty, and when you may appropriately act to right a wrong. Paul's two responses merely suggest that you must prayerfully consider each instance before thoughtlessly taking matters into your own hands.

    If you fully accept the sovereignty of God, must you greet adversity with feigned happiness? I hardly think so. Nonetheless, it is because the situation is so difficult for you that you become aware of the importance of the sovereignty of God.

    Acknowledging God's sovereignty in trying circumstances will give you an opportunity to monitor your growth in faith. Over time, you should be able to see that your ability to rest in faith has increased as you compare your responses in similar trials.

    You need not feel as though you have lost ground if you initially feel defensive. I am not justifying either anger or lack of faith. Nonetheless, a faith which acknowledges the sovereignty of God is a faith which is viable when circumstances are the most difficult or threatening. The intensity of your initial emotional response is an important indication that you can relinquish the most threatening situations to God's sovereignty.

    There will always be high cost when you live by faith. Great comfort will come when you acknowledge the absolute sovereignty of God. He is always in control, no matter how desperate the situation seems to be at the time. An integral part of living by faith will be your reliance on this truth.

    There is, however, a limit that God has placed on His own sovereignty. In certain areas, He has chosen to limit His work to the will of His created beings.

    For example, it is certainly God's will that all would come to repentance: "The Lord...is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This does not mean, however, that all will be saved. God has also determined that each individual must make his or her own decision regarding the Person of Christ. God created man with free moral agency (choice). It would cease to be free moral agency if God rescinded that privilege on the most important issue of salvation.

    Simply because something is God's will does not automatically mean that it will take place.

    There are many areas in which we can see God's sovereignty in operation while He still allows mankind a limited range of choice. God created a complete world. He has also given us the privilege of working within creation for both good or bad. Mankind has done much good in domesticating animals. Land yields have been greatly increased for food production. Engineering has done much good with flood control, soil stabilization, and the like. At the same time, God has allowed man to destroy parts of that creation with deforestation, killing of animal species, wanton release of hazardous materials, destruction of land and rivers, and more.

    It is also God's will that we live by faith. Nonetheless, He has given us freedom of choice. Our freedom of choice will determine how He directs His sovereignty in the development of our faith.

    If you honesty give God permission to do anything in your life in order to produce faith, He will do it. He will then exercise His full sovereignty which will produce optimum growth in you. At times there will be difficult and costly lessons. Nonetheless, He will be in full control of every event.

    On the other hand, if you resist Him in the area of faith—or if you are simply not interested in growth—He will not force you against your will. He then will not fully exercise His sovereignty for your benefit. He is still sovereign because your free moral agency is the result of His creative work. But you will not benefit from what He could do for you because, by your choice, you have denied His offer to exercise His sovereignty on your behalf.