God is sovereign.

Job 42:2-3, 5-6 (NIV): - “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know... My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Yesterday Jeya and I visited a friend in hospital. This sister was diagnosed with a severe form of leukaemia. The reports did not look good. When we visited her, she was having fever and pain and suffering form the side effects of chemotherapy.

Yet there was peace in her face. She was talking to us about the goodness of God, how the Lord has sustained her through this trying period. She even spoke of God's grace in helping her to do her ministry duties before he was admitted to the hospital.  Almost all her sentences were punctuated with "By God's grace"

"I believe God can heal but if He says it's time's up, I am ready to go home".  That were her words of faith. But more importantly trust in the sovereignty of God.

I was also reminded of Job’s story in the Bible which provides a profound exploration of human suffering and divine sovereignty. Throughout his trials, Job wrestles with understanding God’s ways and sovereignty.

Remember when he was tempted by the devil, he was so founded on his faith in God and he was able to say - Job 1:21 - The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”   

Even under severe pressure from his wife to curse God, Job remains steadfast, attributing his circumstances to God's sovereign will. 

  • Job 2:10 - ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”·      

But as his suffering continues and deepens, Job begins to question why God allows such pain and whether it is just. His friends’ accusations further confuse and distress him. Job demands an explanation from God, seeking to understand the reasons behind his suffering and asserting his righteousness.

  • Job 13:3 -  “But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.
But God in His mercy responds to Job out of a whirlwind, questioning him about the mysteries of creation and the vastness of God’s power, which are beyond human comprehension.
  • Job 38:4 -  “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.”

Confronted with the undeniable evidence of God’s majestic power and wisdom, Job humbly acknowledges his limited understanding and submits to God's sovereign will. 

  • In Job 42:2-3, 5-6 -  "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted... Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know... My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." 
Job's repentance reflects a profound realization of God's grandeur and his own limitations.

Through his suffering and God's revelation, Job's faith and trust in God's sovereignty deepen. Despite his earlier questioning, he ultimately accepts God's will.

  • Job 42:10 - "After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before." 

This restoration emphasizes that trusting in God's sovereignty, even in the face of hardship, leads to blessing

Job's journey from questioning God to humbly accepting His sovereignty illustrates a deepened understanding of God's supreme authority and wisdom. Initially, Job accepts his suffering as part of God's control. However, as his trials intensify, he struggles to reconcile his pain with God's justice. Through God's revelation, Job comes to realize the vastness of God's power and the limits of human understanding. Ultimately, he submits to God's will, trusting in His divine plan.

This narrative encourages believers to trust in God's sovereignty, even when life’s circumstances are difficult to understand. It teaches that God's ways are higher than ours and that His plans, though sometimes mysterious, are always guided by His perfect wisdom and authority.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotion - Psalms 44: 6-7 - Its God who gives the victory

Image
Psalms 44:6-7 - I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Any soldier will know that the basic weapon of warfare, in those days, were the bow and sword. Without which no soldier will not venture into the battle field. Even the famed Goliath was geared in full battle order when he faced David with the stones and the sling. Isn't it a paradox then that David, one of the finest soldiers Israel had ever produced, proclaims that its not the bow and the sword that gives the victory. Its is the Lord, Jehovah, that gives the victory. I don't think David is trying to say that we should not prepare ourselves for warfare. His concern is that we recognize that ultimately its the Lord that gives the victory. A few things we need to remember: Human efforts are necessary in the God-man partnership Human efforts alone does not guarantee God intended results Recognize that its God that always gives u
Read more

What a trip to Nepal

Image
I am sitting at the airport restaurant in Kathmandu, checked in and waiting for my departure to New Delhi and from there, onward to Singapore.  Just sipping and enjoying the Americano coffee and a slice of cheese cake as I reminiscent my last nine days in Nepal. It has been a incredibly tough trip but one filled with joy, great satisfaction and challenges. Tough because of the bad roads, tracks and mountain trekking that really tested my endurance and my back was sore.  Couple of knocks on the head as the vehicle danced to the tune of the undulating terrain. Days when I had terrible diarrhoea, running from one mountain toilet to another. Thank God I had Dr Mike Ong on this trip who is a medical doctor from Singapore, who attended to my condition. Times when we had to sleep on the cold floor with thin sheets of cloth, with rodents in the vicinity. Temperatures dropped to a low of 10-12 degrees centigrde in the nights. Eating the food offered by the villagers as we were up in the mounta
Read more

Fare-thee-well my friend, Rev James Ng - A tribute

Image
I t was with deep sadness that we bade farewell to another of God's General, Rev James Ng. But we don't grieve like the rest of the world because of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. We will meet him soon at the Master's feet. To me , he was more than a friend. A true brother in Christ. He was one of the pillars of our Missions work in Asia. A true missionary, teacher, philantrophist and servant with a devoted passion for His Master.  I met James in 2010, when he attended the Haggai Area Seminar, held in RELC. He was introduced to me by our dear friend, Sis Doreen Lim and her husband Dr Lim. Thereafter we became good friends and he became acquainted with our mission work. He was a regular on many of those trips. He preached and taught the Word to many church planters and congregations. It was not easy for him, with all his medical conditions. There were times when we had to travel long hours on the road, up the mountains, down the valleys, cross rivers, and stay in uncomfor
Read more