God Is Sovereign, and He Is Good
How will you respond when you receive the news that you fear most?
Shortly after learning of the death of his four daughters, and amidst a season of financial and personal ruin, Horatio Spafford responded by penning these words:
“When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.”
The man Job, upon hearing that virtually all of his earthly wealth had been destroyed and his 10 children killed, responded this way:
“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Make no mistake — these responses were not the product of delusion or psychologic trick. These men bore the full weight of their soul-crushing sorrow. And yet, their souls were not crushed. How is this possible? And how can we also remain steadfast when we are tested?
In part, the answer is that God will meet us in our hour of trouble. But there is much we can do now to prepare for when we pass through difficult waters. My exhortation to you this morning, brothers and sisters, is this:
Practice daily habits of prayer, thought, and speech that rehearse these bedrock realities: God is sovereign and he is good. There is no minor irritation or inconvenience that God is not using to refine us. When those arise, rebuke that impulse to frustration and pray, “Lord, instruct my heart in this situation.”
Likewise, there is no simple pleasure that is not God’s gracious gift to us. Our moments of joy should be mingled with meditations of praise and thanksgiving. We are a forgetful people. We wander easily from the truth that our lives are not our own. This reminds us of our need to confess our sins.
Prayer of Confession
Father in heaven, the earth is yours, and everything in it. Forgive us for believing the lie that there is any part of our lives that is beyond the reach of your good and wise rule. Please strengthen our hearts, that we would be unshakable, and not be afraid of bad news. We lay before you now, during this time of silent confession, those areas of our lives where we have not surrendered to your lordship…