Attributes of God: SOVEREIGN
This spring I started a series on God’s attributes - just a small collection of them to help us teach our children about God’s character as it’s described in the Bible. Here’s the backlog for those who missed the first three articles. You can read them in any order, and I hope they continue to be a helpful resource!
We’ve covered that God is the creator, and that He’s holy, and those characteristics help set the backdrop for our next attribute, which is that God is Sovereign.
“Sovereign” isn’t a word we use a lot in day-to-day conversation, but it’s a big theme throughout the Bible. God’s sovereignty refers to the truth that He is totally in control of everything in the heavens and the earth, and nothing can stop his plans and purposes. Said another way, He is THE King and has ultimate control over everything.
Honestly, this is a hard truth! We all like to believe we are in charge and in control of our lives. However, when we try to exert our own control outside of God’s Kingship, we always mess things up. If we believe God is good and just (and scripture teaches that He is!), then it is a very good thing that He is in control and not us.
When we teach God’s sovereignty to our kids, it’s helpful and important to include some of the other aspects of God’s character. After all, a lot of sad and hard things happen in our world that don’t feel good - if God controls everything, is He making bad things happen on purpose? When we look at God’s control through the context of his goodness, love, and faithfulness, we can see a fuller picture of what his sovereignty means.
Today, I’m going to simplify the conversation by covering just two key aspects of God’s sovereignty that help set up an accurate Biblical foundation for our kids around who God is and what it means that He is in control.
God’s Sovereignty Means He Controls EVERYTHING
“He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”
- Daniel 4:35
God’s will is done among “the host of heaven” as well as here on earth - if he created everything in the universe, it’s a logical conclusion that He is in charge of all that He made. And scripture supports this conclusion!
In Psalms, we read that “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps. He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses” (Psalm 135:6–7). So God is even over the weather (which my storm-loving 7-year-old thinks is so cool)!
When we show our kids that scripture says nothing is outside of God’s control, it can be a great comfort to them. Even something big and sometimes scary like the weather bends to the will of our good Heavenly father.
And yet He is also sovereign over the smallest details. Jesus teaches in Matthew 10:29 that not even a tiny sparrow falls to the ground “apart from your Father.” From earthly kings to sparrows, God sees the big things and the small things, and He is in control of them all.
Job 42:2 - “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job speaking to God)
Isaiah 46:9–10 - “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” (God speaking through Isaiah the prophet)
Jeremiah 10:23 - “LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.”
Mattthew 10:29 - “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”
Response Questions:
Think of one small thing and one big thing that God is sovereign over.
Why do you think God is in control of everything?
Why can that be hard sometimes? Why is it good?
KEY TAKEAWAY:
God’s Sovereignty means that He is King over everything, and He is in total control over all He has made.
God’s Sovereignty is GOOD
“For the Lord is good and His love endures forever.”
- Psalm 100:5
I could list pages worth of individual Bible verses sharing about God’s goodness, but equally important is what the overarching theme of scripture teaches us about it. God’s goodness is not just in what he does for us today, but in the great story of his redemption of mankind.
Job reminds us that, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). God’s purposes are good and just - if we believe these things about God, then we can trust that when God allows bad or hard things to happen, He will use it for His people’s good and His glory.
And I think that trust is exactly what is so wonderful about teaching our children the reality of God’s sovereignty over all things. When you love God and trust Him, even the difficult parts of life have purpose. Because God is so big - outside of time and everywhere all the time - He alone knows how things work together for our greatest good.
I find it’s helpful to distiguish between God allowing evil in the world and using it for our good, versus God causing evil. We experience evil as a consequence of the fall - of our sin and the sins of others. God can’t cause evil, because He IS good. He doesn’t just do good, it’s who He is. (1 John 1:5 - God is light. There is no darkness in him at all.)
He is good. He is trustworthy. And He is in control.
God is Sovereign.
Romans 8:28 - “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with his purpose.”
Psalm 145:9 - “The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.”Psalm 34:8 - “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”1 John 1:5 - “God is light. There is no darkness in him at all.”
Response Questions:
What would the world be like if God was not in control?
Can you think of a time when God used something bad that happened for your good?
What Bible verse could you memorize to remind yourself that God is good when things are hard?
KEY TAKEAWAY
It is good that God is sovereign over all things, because He is good and works all things for the good of those who love Him.