Have we forgotten God is sovereign?

I don’t remember what I was doing or the exact time the Holy Spirit spoke to me. What He told me echos in my heart even now.

You are not equal to me (God)!

The world seems to spin while I stand frozen in time. All I can hear is the enormity in this short sentence – I am not God’s equal.

I guess you could say, it’s an offensive statement. Maybe in some ways, it is. Yet, I find the truth of it overshadowing any offense. Here’s why

First things first

I love the current movements in the global church of grace, God’s goodness and kindness, and His father’s heart. I love the encouragement to go deeper into His presence to encounter wave upon wave of His love. It is both liberating and humbling to encounter the Creator and Sovereign God in such a tangible and real way.

Yet, I look around me and internally my spirit groans. Something is missing. In all our familiarity with God and His presence I wonder if we have forgotten God is great and mighty. I know I have forgotten this.

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The problem with over-familiarity in our walk with God

Over familiarity with Him has brought into our lives and hearts the danger of seeing ourselves as equal to Him.

Is this getting offensive? I hope so. Is this challenging you? Good! It is challenging me too.

Here’s the problem with over familiarity. We unconsciously and unintentionally begin to reduce God to our human understanding. We want Him to do things the way we would do them. God must answer our prayers the way we can understand. Instead of waiting on Him, we are fast becoming a people who are snapping their fingers and demanding our every wish come true. And, we want it done now.

Have we forgotten God is Almighty God?

We have forgotten God is sovereign

Our pride has become god. We are for the most part treating God like He is our servant. (Oh, Jesus forgive me.)

Pride isn’t the only issue in our hearts. Logic and reason are beginning to replace our faith. Our faith weakens as we become tossed to and fro on the waves of doubt. While doubt is something you and I will face throughout our lives, our faith in God needs to remain steadfast. Yet, this unspoken misconception that we are God’s equal, because we can be so close to Him, is shrinking our faith instead of increasing it.

Have we forgotten God is worth our surrender?

A gentle reminder

So, my heart cries in repentance. Jesus, forgive me for mistreating you so.

In the movie, Joseph King of Dreams, one of the songs on the soundtrack has this phrase:

“I’ve let go the need to know why. I’ll take what answers you provide. You know better than I.”

People like King David, Elijah, Ezekiel, and the Apostle John all had profoundly deep and powerful walks with God. Yet, throughout Scripture we see how they continually submitted to God despite their lack of understanding.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts… Isaiah 55: 8-9

Have we forgotten God has mysteries and secrets of which He chooses what to share with us?

Embrace His mysteries

So much of our walk with God has to do with embracing His mysteries. We are not God’s equal. He will do things that we don’t understand. This requires you and me to accept His sovereignty and mysterious nature while realizing that He is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still the God whose love abounds forever, incredibly patient, and uses kindness to draw all people to Him.

As I sit contemplating these things, I find conviction and not condemnation. I realize God uses these sort of rebukes to change my mindset. He calls you and me to rise above human understanding and perspective.

The ins and outs of God’s promises being fulfilled and His answers to our prayers will come about. Often, they will be in ways we least expect, through people we didn’t expect. You and I will experience a re-defining of Christian concepts (leadership, relationship, ministry, etc). In the process, He invites us to explore His Father’s heart deeply. God still wants us to ask questions and seek Him. While we do that, we remain humble and surrendered to His sovereignty and Majesty.

Have we forgotten God is a mighty, powerful God?

C.S. Lewis captures the fear of God and the goodness of Him in his character of Aslan in the Narnia Series:

Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

 

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