The Source of ALL! of My Problems

When I forget or doubt that God is sovereign I then work, beg, borrow, steal or worse to make something happen. Believing and remembering God is sovereign is at the heart of the Christian religion – and the discipline (yes, discipline developed only through practice, practice and more practice in the trials we all face); thus, the counter-intuitive truth of:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ^Jas 1:2-4

There are a million type trials – each one a friend to show us our weaknesses (when we embrace, rather than fight, them).  When we don’t have trials we can fool ourselves into thinking we have gotten a whole lot further along than we really have.

“Whenever you face trials of many kinds” is the only reference in the Bible to “pure” joy.  There are others joys, but embracing and learning from “trials of many kinds” is the only source of pure joy.

God is sovereign!  If He wants me to have more money, time, a different or better job, spouse, home . . . He will give it to me:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” ^Mt 6:25-33

God can promise because God can deliver – He is sovereign!  It is important to remember this on Sunday, at church, and when everything is “rosy” (is everything ever rosy?).  But remembering this during the week (at work, in traffic, when I am sick, encounter rude or unfair people, when I am the rude and unfair person . . .) is even more important!  These are the times when I need most to:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” ^Ps 46:10

This is Biblical faith!  Knowing in the face of trials that God is totally, absolutely, entirely, wholly, fully, completely . . . in-charge of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE.  If we can believe:

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD?
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. ^Pr 21:1

The king thinks and acts as if he is in control (until challenged, hides in a cave and is found and imprisoned like a dog!); but God is the only true Sovereign!

This is true faith – believing, in everyday life, that God is sovereign! Believing, evidenced by have this truth dominating and controlling our actions!

Jesus is Lord!