Amos 3:11-15 New International Version
11 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“An enemy will overrun your land,
pull down your strongholds
and plunder your fortresses.”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth
only two leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued,
with only the head of a bed
and a piece of fabric[a] from a couch.[b]”
13 “Hear this and testify against the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.
14 “On the day I punish Israel for her sins,
I will destroy the altars of Bethel;
the horns of the altar will be cut off
and fall to the ground.
15 I will tear down the winter house
along with the summer house;
the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed
and the mansions will be demolished,”
declares the Lord.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
To begin, let me ask you a couple of questions:
What comes to your mind when you think about God?
Is your understanding of Him rooted in Scripture, or is it shaped by your own experiences, desires, or even misconceptions you’ve picked up along the way?
The way we view God is no small matter.
A distorted picture of Him can lead us down paths of doubt, error, fear, and misunderstanding, depriving, robbing us of the peace and assurance that only from knowing Him as He truly is.
My heart’s desire is to redirect you away from these dangers and guide you into a clearer, more informed, more biblical, and more joyful view of our great God.
Some people imagine God as a distant creator—a kind of cosmic tyrannical administrator who set everything in motion but now stays out of the picture, except for the occasional “system maintenance.”
Perhaps others see Him as little more than a tired grouchy old too stern judge, watching for every mistake to punish us.
Or maybe, they think of Him as powerful but limited, either unable to intervene in the chaos of the world or restrained by human choices.
None of these depictions are the God of the Bible.
Instead, Scripture presents us with a God who is far greater, far more glorious, and far more trustworthy than anything or any character that we could invent on our own. A God who reigns supremely over all creation, infinite in His being, perfect in all of His attributes, and yet still merciful in all His dealings with us.
One of the most helpful summaries I’ve come across that beautifully captures the biblical teaching about who God is comes from the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith: https://www.the1689confession.com/
The Lord, our God, is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of Himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, and withal most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
This God, the God of the Bible, reigns over every part of corner of creation.
He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and fully in control.
And, when we know God as He truly is, that’s good news for us!
Because our hearts are filled with peace, our faith is strengthened, and we are freed from the anxieties, and the worries that come from false views of Him.
That’s why, as we begin this devotional—Let God Reign—we’ll take time to explore some of the attributes of God, starting today with His sovereignty.
In the devotions ahead, we’ll also consider His goodness, immutability, omnipotence, incarnation, and omniscience.
Of course, even an encyclopedias of sermons couldn’t exhaust the riches of who God is, but my prayer is that this series will deepen your love for Him, challenge any of your remaining unbelief, and increase your trust in the Lord. So let us just begin today by considering the absolute sovereignty of our great God.
It starts with the acknowledgment that:
1. God is Sovereign
Whether you and I want to admit it or not, this is reality: God is sovereign.
First, let us define our terms; what does it mean for God to be sovereign?
Here are a few definitions for us to reference:
Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms Sovereignty
The biblical concept of God’s kingly, supreme rule and legal authority over the entire universe.
Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics and Philosophy of Religion Sovereignty
The possession of ultimate authority and power.
Pocket Dictionary of the Reformed Tradition Sovereignty of God
God’s authority and power to accomplish his will as the supreme Ruler of all things.
From taking these definitions collectively, we find that sovereignty means God is the absolute King of the universe, with complete ownership, power, and all authority over all of creation- and He is able to accomplish all His holy will.
There is no one and nothing outside of His rule.
James 1:17 ESV
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Our families, our resources, our reputations, and even our ability to know and love Him are neither random nor earned; they are graciously and providentially given by your King.
Let’s consider God’s work in our lives:
His providence has woven together a beautiful tapestry for each of our lives –
Psalm 139:1-18 English Standard Version
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
Consider what the vast tapestry of your life looks like for a moment –
It would begin with:
how He formed you in the womb,
where and when you were born,
what type of family you grew up in,
every single moment of happiness,
all the friendships you enjoy,
each of the jobs and responsibilities you have ever had,
the skills and talents you exercise,
seeing the love of your life for the first time,
getting married,
experiencing the joy of holding your child for the first time,
your daily bread,
your home, your daily protection, and even beyond all of those blessings:
if you are a Christian He has even ordained how and when He adopted you,
He has ordained your ongoing sanctification, eventually He will providentially ordain for your journey to your heavenly home!
He has woven countless bright threads into your life’s tapestry.
Do we have such a good, wise, and loving Father who cares for our every need?
Can we praise God this whole day for just how good His providence is to us!?
Thank you, faithful God, for your ever present providential hand upon our lives!
In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 84 The Message
84 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
I’ve always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
How blessed they are to live and sing there!
5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!
8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen:
O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying!
Look at our shields, glistening in the sun,
our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.
10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God
than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.
All sunshine and sovereign is God,
generous in gifts and glory.
He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.
It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 