Opposition to Rest and Thankfulness in God's Sovereignty

This phrase, "The Sovereignty of God," has had an amazing impact upon my life. My understanding of this phrase has been shaped mightily and supremely by God's Word, and then by the guidance and wisdom of such heroes as John Piper. All authority, in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus; I believe this, I rest in this, and I tremble at this. God's sovereign reign over all things - all events, all gifts, all tragedies, all authorities - is the most beautiful and freeing truths that I have ever experienced.

In light of all of this, what perplexes me the most is the opposition that has come against my understanding and resting in God's sovereignty over the past couple of years. Whether it be from myself, my family, my friends, co-workers, or Satan, opposition has come. If I am exaggerating, it is not by much, that I daily both rest in and doubt God's sovereignty over my life, as well as the lives of those around me. Many times I will leave my house in the morning certain of God's mighty hand guiding my life, realizing that He is infinitely worthy of my trust, yet lay my head on the pillow at night worrying that I will and have messed up my life, wondering if God is truly involved at all.

Nonetheless, again and again, I see the height and goodness of God's involvement in His Word. May we be gracious to those with opposing viewpoints, and may we humbly accept that we do not know or understand all, and may we be thankful for rebuke, but may we also fiercely protect the treasure of truth that our God, our awesome Heavenly Father, is amazingly, supremely, sovereign over all.

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us." - Acts 17:24-27

The Ferocity of God's Pursuit of His Beloved

Amos 4:6-11

6“I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
7“I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; 8 so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
9“I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.
10“I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declared the Lord.
11“I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord.[1]

O how ferociously God pursues those whom He loves. This passage is referring to the Israelites, but we as believers in Christ may also know and believe that the one and only God, our Heavenly Father, is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and as He treated His children thousands of years ago, He may treat His children today, for His amazing love cannot wax or wane; it is unchanging.

We may tremble with fear, and delight with great joy at the lengths, in with what ferocity, God will pursue those whom He loves. In this passage we see that in order to woo His beloved Israel back to Himself, He does many things that we would look at today as unloving. God gave a “lack of bread” so that His people would return to Him. God “withheld the rain” so that His people would return to Him. God struck His people’s vineyards with mildew so that His people would return to Him. God even killed the Israelite’s “young men with the sword” so that His people would return to Him.

Why? Why would God do these things in order to bring His beloved back to Himself? The only reason I can come up with is unrelenting, all-consuming, passionate love for those whom He loves. He will do anything in order to turn us back to Himself; to turn us away from our sick, perverted lusts; lusts that are destroying us. How can He stand by as the children that He loves are being lied to by Satan – running toward the lies of the world that are calling out “look at me,” “touch me,” “invest in me,” “receive praise from me!”

He is a loving Father. Imagine one of your children, on this earth, is about to leave to go on a vacation with a man that you know is a serial killer. You know it – you know he will destroy her, slowly, and that in the end he will take her life. And for some reason, she cannot see the evil in this man; or, he is so good looking that she would give all to be with him, believing that he will be the “perfect lover” that she has always dreamed of. But you know better, and you will not let her go with him. There is nothing that will keep you from stopping her from going with this man – nothing. That is God’s pursuit of us! He ferociously loves and pursues us. He will even ordain pain in our lives, so that we will return to Him, to Him in whom is found everlasting joy, satisfaction, and unfailing love.

If you are a ransomed child of God, ransomed only by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ as atonement for your sins, then take this text as a passionate visual of God’s pursuit of you. Examine your life – are you seeking passionately worldly “things;” worldly pleasures? God will not let you enjoy them. He loves you too ferociously to let you be eaten alive by the lies and “lovers” of this world. He will get your attention. I do not presume to know how, but He will. He is calling out to you, “Turn your eyes to Me! Look at Me! I’m here! I will not leave your or forsake you. My love is everlasting, and my love will fill that empty hole which nothing else in this world is capable of doing. Turn to me – taste and see that the Lord is good!

If you are not a believer, I pray that by God’s grace, your eyes will be opened by God to the beauty and truth of the greatness and ferocity of God’s love that is found in Christ Jesus. You cannot work your way to Him; it is only by His grace that you are chosen and loved and pursued ferociously by Him. Turn to Jesus!

[1] Italics added for emphasis