Sovereignty

Being as one committed to the sovereignty of God in the affairs of men, my daily battle is with present circumstances in the light of His sovereignty.

 

All around me, the center seems to be unfolding and I want to scream!

 

But, years of systematic scripture memory continually bring to mind passages relative to God’s control of events and I am forced to face the issue of submission.

 

Do I really believe this is His World, that He is in control, and all things are working out in accord with His plan?

 

How I thank God that in His good providence a few good men were instrumental in my life when it came to the practical value of scripture memory!

 

Little did I realize, then, the untold value this contribution would yield in my later years!

 

Few are the hours in the day when some passage of scripture doesn’t flash into my conscious mind as it pertains to something I hear, read, or experience, driving me to consider things from God’s perspective!

 

It is at those moments, I recognize the import of the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “…take every thought captive to Christ…”!

 

Then I am driven to thank God for the men and women who have taught me personally or through their writings to “correctly handle” the word of truth!

 

They either taught me directly, or motivated me toward personal Bible study, in a systematic fashion, so as to be able to “correctly handle” the word of truth.

 

They also taught me to appreciate with a discriminating mind the observations, comments, and writings of every saint who has proceeded me.  I am one who is to stand on the shoulders of others, giving them due credit for their contribution.

 

In listening to them and to the word of God, I come to realize that “…that which has been, is now, and that which is to be has already been…” , in principle.

 

There is nothing new under the sun.  Only the cosmetic changes!

 

The demand upon me is to understand everything principally, and not cosmetically!

 

Now, THAT is a challenge!