God has set his throne in heaven; he rules over us all. He’s the King! Ps 103:19 (NKJV)
Part 1 – Control Freak
God is in control. Ps 103:19 says, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” He rules and reigns above it all. No name is greater and no force more powerful; God is sovereign over us. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17)
We love the idea of control, along with the thought that we have it. We love knowing the certainty of two plus two equalling four. We’re taught to colour in the lines and treat people nice. If you study, you’ll get good grades. If you practise, skills will grow. If you behave, you’ll be rewarded. If you’re bad, you’ll be disciplined. If we do this and that, the outcome will be certain. Controlled, neat, reasonable, nice. Finished off with a bow. A shiny silk one.
We read stories of sovereign families, always imagining ourselves as among them – a prince or princess. God being the good king, who ensures the safety and prosperity of his own. This sovereign family is beyond fair, impeccably kind, gigantically good, widely loved and generously respected. All within their kingdom know they’ll be treated with fairness and truth and never fear or want for anything. A fairy tale indeed. We dream of perfection, nothing out of place, everything intact. There are surprises, sure… good ones, or ones that are resolved efficiently with the help of a benevolent benefactor, (who is, of course, good looking).
The only thing is, fairytales aren’t real. No matter how much we think we are in control, things happen that remind us we are not. They make us question if we ever had any control at all. And does God? A loved one dies, innocence is stolen, parents divorce, bullies are relentless, you’re constantly let down, sickness lingers, depression sets in… Maybe you’ve experienced heartbreaking things, horrifying things. Or maybe you’ve seen people suffer more than you ever thought possible. Sometimes the trouble we go through and the atrocities we see, bring with them an even more frightening question;
What if God IS in control?
One day, Jesus rode ’triumphantly’ into Jerusalem, the people around him joyously shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the king of Israel!” They were proclaiming him as their new king; the one who would take back control, who would set the political and social wrongs right, turn everything back around to the way it should be. However, seven days later, this man who was meant to become their new king was murdered, hung on a cross, seemingly defeated.
Not the usual way in which a king establishes his reign.
Go to Part 2 – Cross that is Sovereign
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