Sovereignty

         My wife and I were required to go through five weeks of mission school where we were part of intense classes in an attempt to prepare us for work on the mission field. One of the courses was on how to ask questions. It was brought to our attention that we should not use a “why” question. If you ask a question as to “why” something is happening it usually indicates that you have a better way to do it. No matter how we dress it up, the question implies right at the beginning that your way is better than their way. We spent time in exercises trying to change the “why” question into some other form that would be less offensive. We often do that to God. We will ask, “Why did you do this?” We might instead state, “Lord, show me your plan in this.” There are a number of ways to change the question. We sometimes simply state, “Well, God is in control.” Abraham made an interesting statement when he began to bargain with God about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18:25 says, “That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

         In the end, there were not even ten righteous persons left. Joni Earackson Tada was quoted as stating the following:

“Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God's motives, but in understanding His character, in trusting in His promises, and in leaning on Him and resting in Him as the Sovereign who knows what He is doing and does all things well.” Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni could surely have questioned God as to “why” the tragedy took place that left here paralyzed from the neck down. Forty years ago, Joni was already a motivational speaker and I remember her well speaking to the students at the daily chapel at Washington Bible College. She was an inspiration to us who had far less problems than she had and yet she had overcome them and was, instead, magnifying God in her life to all those who were around her. Sometimes, we just look up, shake our fist (spiritually speaking) and ask, “Why?” In so doing, we are proclaiming that our way would have been far better, or we would have just let the situation go on the way it was without causing all that destruction. We probably can never understand God's motives but we can look into His Word and learn about His character. Abraham knew full well that there is nothing that God does that is wrong. Truly the Judge of all the earth will always do that which is right. In the end, He is sovereign. There was a statement about the professors at W.B.C. Which went, “The professor is sovereign in his class.” He or she could require students to do whatever they wanted because the professor was sovereign in the class. God is sovereign in all that He does. You may have an opportunity in these present day to ask God “Why” when we should instead be seeking to understand His character more and more. We can do this by spending more time in Scripture and Prayer to conform us more and more to Him. Praise God today for all of His working in our lives. Whatever He does is always right.