“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Psalm 115:3
The sovereignty of God is simply awe-inspiring and breathtaking. Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases. This is not something we can even begin to imagine laying claim to.
The most powerful men who have ever lived have never been able to do all that they please. Think for a moment about the desires of Barack Obama, Bill Gates, or Brad Pitt: they command a powerful amount of resources, but not enough to do all that they please. They cannot cause world peace, stop poverty, rule the world. They cannot do this because they simply don’t have absolute command of the power, money, or influence that is required to do all or anything they please.
But God does. As the Creator of all things (Gen. 1:1), he can do with his creation as he wishes. As the giver of life and as the Creator, he has all resources. His power and strength should be trembled at. His presence is more stately and should command our respect and awe, but because we have sinned and rebelled against God (Rom. 3:23), we do not offer the respect to God as we should. This is shown most clearly in the cross of Christ: Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, bore our sins and was shown no respect by all mankind.
This sort of disrespect to God the all-powerful should be dealt with in all severity, but we see that Christ, the Creator of the earth (Col. 1:15–23), doesn’t destroy them. Instead, he asks that the Father forgive them (Luke 22:34). Imagine God with all power asking that those who are murdering him be forgiven.
Think about the mighty power of God today. And as his weight dawns on you, turn to Christ and his character. Jesus, the Creator of all things, is both supremely powerful and merciful. Jesus is the one through whom all creation will be redeemed. Turn to him today and confess your need of his grace as you reflect upon his power.
Ryan Williams is a pastoral resident at the Downtown Bellevue church.
