sov·er·eign·ty

sov·er·eign·ty:Supreme power or authority.

 

 

 

 

 

There is this really great book called, "31 Days of Praise" that was written by Ruth and Warren Myers. It is a book that takes each day of the month and in their own prayers and words, praises God for who He is and for what He has done in their lives. It encourages "a deeper intimacy with God-and a greater love for Him". It gently inspires you to appreciate and adore the Lord in all things, even in the midst of heartache, struggles, deep hurt, or disappointments. This book was shared with me back in 2004 when I was facing what I call my very first "real struggle" with God and how I viewed Him and His people.

 

As I look back on my journey so far, I can see where many times I didn't trust or believe in the Sovereignty of God. You may ask, "what is the Sovereignty of God?"...Just like the definition at the very top of this post states. The Sovereignty of God means that God knows every single thing that will happen in our lives. He has complete and total power and authority over our lives. Now some people may really not like this fact. Some may think that they rule their own life...and that is fine. It won't change the fact that God is still Sovereign and still holds all power and authority over each and every one of our lives. ;) In fact, He knew that you would think that!

 

I am so very thankful for God's Sovereignty. I can trust and know that He is good. I can continue to seek God in all I do, knowing that He will fulfill His promise to me that He will give me the desires of my heart and that I can ask Him anything, according to His will. When you align your life and mind up with what God wants for you, suddenly the desires of your heart align up with His will. It's so cool how that works. The desires you may have right now (if you aren't actively seeking God's purpose and plan for your life) may or may not align up with what God has created you for. In 1 John 5:14 NIV, the Bible says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Now, I would be a big fat liar if I said that this verse never annoyed me! HA! I would read this verse and get all excited...WOW, I can ask ANYTHING??? ohh..."according to His will". So I guess that means that I have to only ask things like, "God, please send me into the jungles of Africa so I can live in a tiny hut made of straw and preach to the tribes there". 

 

TIMEOUT... 

 

****Don't misunderstand my point here. There are amazing people called of God to do just that. Right now, I am addressing the condition of my heart while I have read and interpreted this verse in the past.****

 

 

OK...TIME IN

 

The truth of the matter is this: If you are actively seeking God's purpose and plan for your life; If you are walking daily with Him in His Word, and communicating with Him through prayer and worship; your heart is only going to desire the things that God has purposed and planned for your life. It will come naturally. Those things that you desired before that weren't aligned with God, who He is, and what He has planned for your life will fade away and you begin to desire the things of God. It's a natural process that will occur.

 

Addressing God's Sovereignty again...He loves each and every one of us individually. He created in each of us a specific purpose and plan. He has blessed each one of us with unique and individual talents and gifts that He desires to see used to bring Him honor and glory. In other words, God gave you the desires of your heart. For instance, I have a deep passion and desire for music, singing, playing instruments and lifting my voice and singing. God created that desire in me. He also has called me to lead worship. Right now I am seeking God. I am walking daily with Him. Am I the best prayer warrior and Bible reader you have ever met? NO WAY! I am working on becoming more disciplined and consistent. I have a lot of work to do. A LOT!

 

But, my point is this. God gave me the desire and talent to sing and love music. He gave me the gift of helping other people "press" into God's presence through worship. Am I currently in a position that is allowing me to do the desire of my heart? Yes and no. I can use my desire and talents anytime, anywhere. I love my one-on-one time with God where I will sit and worship at His feet. The truth is, God has a lot of preparation and teaching to do in my life before He will open that door as a worship leader in a church. This I do know- as I seek God and begin to really trust (have faith) that He is truly Sovereign, I can face each day in confidence that He will give me the desires of my heart. It's a promise that He has given us/me in the Bible. God WILL open that door for me to lead worship again. I know this to be true. I believe it with all my heart, and will continue to move forward until He opens that door for me to walk through.

 

Another verse that I  came across today and really love is from Jeremiah 32:40 NLT. It says this, "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me."

 

Never underestimate God's Sovereignty in your life. He has such great plans for you. His purpose for you has never waivered or changed. Seek God and you will learn more about Him. The more you learn about Him, the more you will love Him. He is waiting for you to respond. I would like to conclude this post with a passage from the book, "31 Days of Praise".

 

"I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. You hold in Your own power my breath of life and all my destiny. And every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on. Thank You that I can move into the future nondefensively, with hands outreached to whatever lies ahead, for You hold the future and You will always be with me, even to my old age...and through all eternity."

 

 

Jeremiah 10:6

"There is none like Thee, O Lord; Thou art great, and great is Thy name in might."