Colliding with God - Bible Study Review

Every person has a story about a time when life just didn't make sense, a personal tragedy or an ongoing struggle with a situation. Whether we realize it or not, the minute we ask why, we are doing theology. Our struggles and sufferings lead us to God's doorstep and cause us to ask questions such as: "Is God really in control?"; "Does God care about me?"; "What kind of God would allow this to happen?" We become better theologians when we allow ourselves to ask such questions. Times of pain and anger have a way of jarring us out of our polite conversations with God and into serious dialogue with Him. In those conversations, our purpose should not be to make our lives better (as we define better), but, rather, to have an increased understanding of God, his character and his purposes. Our questions should send us to the scriptures with theological eyes, so that our vision of God will be expanded.

The doctrine of the sovereignty of God has caused debate among Christians through the centuries. What exactly do we mean when we say God is ruler over His creation? Our conclusions have serious ramifications on how we see ourselves and our circumstances. To understand sovereignty, we must leave behind our democratic paradigm and enter the realm of the monarch. The Bible is clear that God's kingdom always prevails from generation to generation; he has no flaws or weaknesses, and there are no rival powers that hinder him from accomplishing his purposes. Simply stated, God never has a "Plan B." He doesn't need one.

So how does God's sovereignty relate to us and our lives? Hebrew 12:1 calls us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us," and Psalm 139:16 tells us that, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Carolyn Custis James explains: "Our lives are not haphazard journeys that evolve as we go along, depending on what we do or what happens next. Each of us is running the race God has marked out for her. This race is not determined by the good or evil actions of others, no matter who they are or how much power they hold over us. Neither do we run wherever we please. God has planned our race, and he is carrying out his plan - a plan that guarantees our good and his glory. Nothing - not principalities or powers, not the devil himself, not even we - can throw God off his plan or prevent him from accomplishing his good purpose for us. We run a planned race." (When Life and Beliefs Collide, p. 70) The sovereignty of God doesn't answer all our questions, but it provides a framework for us to see life, even at its worst, and know God is still on his throne.

~to be continued...