Sovereignty Or A Mystery?

Feb 18, 2023

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

- Colossians 1:16

There was a time in my life when I thought about the sovereignty of God, it brought me deep comfort.

I am the way I am with my flaws and failures; I have no idea what the future will hold for me, but I am glad that my God is sovereign. I am thankful that all things have been created through Him and for Him!

Then at some point - I’m not sure when - God’s sovereignty became something that would cause me to get jaded. Why would God allow this in my life? In the life of my loved ones? Why would God permit that to happen in this country and worldwide?

The sovereignty of God then became a source of confusion and disillusionment.

Anyone else relate to this?

How is it that, in one moment, it comforts, and in another, it confuses?

Well, this short devotional will not be able to reconcile this fully for sure, but one thing God has been teaching me is that God’s sovereignty is a mystery.

Our God is not completely fathomable or comprehensible, and our humanness cannot calculate nor conceive who God is and what He is doing. This, my friends, is a good thing!

We live in a culture where we can find and demand any information or answer within seconds. And so I automatically assume I can figure out God. Ain’t that crazy? But the sovereignty of God is a mystery in such a way that I cannot solve Him; rather, I need to surrender to Him.

Joni Eareckson Tada is a Christian author, radio host, and founder of Joni and Friends, who became a person with quadriplegia, paralyzed from the shoulders down. She said something very profound:

“Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”

This sentence is filled with tension, mystery, and the sovereignty of God.

She continues and shares how: “…we will stand amazed to see the topside of the tapestry and how God beautifully embroidered each circumstance into a pattern for our good and His glory.”

So if Colossians 1:16 is true, for in Him all things were created to bring glory to God, then my response simply must be one of trust. Jesus, I trust you. Lord, I surrender to you.

I don’t know what you feel when you think about the sovereignty of God, but I pray that this mystery will cause you to grow in intimacy with God.