One aspect of God’s sovereignty is His choosing outcomes in the world. The Scriptures make it clear that God sets up kings and takes them down (Dan 4:32); they also reveal that He chooses what is good (Ps 119:68) and works things out for good for those who love Him and are called by Him (Rm 8:28). God actively works within the world He created. But even while we may acknowledge this reality, it becomes a tougher pill to swallow when God’s choice goes against what we want. Isaac loved his firstborn son, and he planned to pass God’s blessing to him, but God chose differently. Esau lived in a culture where firstborns received nearly all of their parent’s wealth, but the Scriptures say God hated him (Mal 1:3). We want freedom, but God chooses to restrict our freedom with parents and government. We want love, but God chooses to keep us single. We want success and happiness, but God chooses to allow hardship and trials. What are we supposed to do when God’s choice and ours are at odds? We must submit. Because God is sovereign, He has the right to the final choice. Because we are His creatures, we have the responsibility to respect His choice and submit to it. But it is for this very reason that the verses cited above are in Scripture. Psalm 119:68 and Romans 8:28 give us hope that even when God’s choice is contrary to ours; His choice is the best choice and in the end, His choice would be our choice every time. May we submit to God’s choice as He works His will in the world. Read More

Have you ever been stuck in a situation in your life not knowing which way to go? Every one of us have faced these types of decisions or situations because our knowledge is finite and flawed. We can certainly see what the possible positive and negative outcomes could be for both sides of a decision, but we can’t know what will happen until after we make a decision. Sometimes those kinds of situations can paralyze us. We fear the negative possibilities of both sides so much that we can’t make a decision. But it is in those times when we must see God’s gracious leading in the past, His faithful answers to prayers, His kind work in the lives of others, and His generous blessings toward us. For when we see these realities, we can go forward either way knowing that even in the difficult days, God will sustain us. God is good and following His lead is always a good idea. May we have the faith to see His gracious guiding hand and follow every step of the way. Read More

Sometimes obeying God is pretty straightforward. It may not be easy, but it at least makes sense. Other times, it seems that what God is asking us to do is completely absurd. It either seems to contradict what He has said or commanded somewhere else (think of Abraham sacrificing Isaac), or it seems likely to kill us (think of the Israelites stepping into the Red Sea). Yet even in the times when it is difficult to make sense of what God is demanding of us, we can rest in His faithfulness to His character and His Word. If the biblical examples say anything at all, it is that these high risk circumstances are always high reward, as God uses them to shape us into something that brings honor and glory to His name and impacts the world around us. Rest in the good character and true Word of God; He’ll never let you down. Read More