Thanksgiving Challenge, Day 29

Day #29: I'm thankful that God is sovereign.

"What do we mean by [the sovereignty of God]? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the god-hood of God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in Heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Psa. 115:3). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Psa. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible." 

--A. W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God, chapter 1.

Thanksgiving Challenge, Day 7

 Day #7: I'm thankful that God is sovereign.

It's so comforting to be in relationship with a God who is in control of all things. Nothing surprises him. He never has an "Oh crap!" moment. He's not scrambling around in Heaven trying to figure out how to make everything all work out. He doesn't worry about how he's going to keep his promises. He's never afraid that he might not be able to fulfill his purposes.

The more I allow these truths to wash over me, the less worry and fear I have. For "his dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'" (Daniel 4:34-35).

Thanksgiving Challenge, Days 4 & 5

 Day #4: I'm thankful that God is holy.

"And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!'" (Revelation 4:8).

According to the Dictionary of Bible Themes, holiness is "The moral excellence of God that unifies his attributes and is expressed through his actions, setting him apart from all others." God is completely set apart from and different from his creation.

I think when I was growing up and I heard the phrase "God is holy," my mind immediately went to passages such as Leviticus 11:45, where God says "You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." So talking about God's holiness usually inspired guilt because I felt like I didn't measure up. (That was before I came to realize that, in sanctification as in justification, I cannot work my way to God. I can only "keep in step with the Spirit" [Galatians 5:25] and allow him to bring about change in my life.) So I usually saw statements about God's holiness in a negative light.

Sovereign Over Us by Aaron Keyes

We recently started singing this song in church, and each time we sing it, the lyrics speak powerfully to me. I remember a friend in college pointing out the difference between our God and the one the Muslim world worships. They, too, believe in a god who is sovereign, but their god doesn't love them. He is arbitrary in his decisions. Our God is "faithful forever, perfect in love." So we may not understand why he is bringing something into our lives, but we can trust that it is the best thing for us.