Walking with the Wise #238: GOD is in Control

“The heart of man plans his way,

but the LORD establishes his steps.”
—Proverbs 16:9

GOD is sovereign over all of life. No one is exempt. Every single person is in someway fulfilling God’s purposes, for blessing or for judgment. Even the heart of a king is under God’s control, as the Bible says:

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will”—Proverbs 21:1.

Knowing that He is sovereign over all of our circumstances and will make everything work out for His glorious good we can rest in Him:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose”—Romans 8:28.

Consider the faith and fearlessness of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson in the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as the Battle of Manassas in July of 1861. In the highest point of the battle, Brigadier General Barnard E. Bee saw Jackson sitting on top of his horse without moving. He then instructed his men: "There stands Jackson like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians!" This is how he got his nickname, “Stonewall.” It came as a result of his fearlessness as bullets were whizzing by in battle. He could sit on his horse without flinching. When asked why he could be so serene in the midst of such violence, he said, “My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death."

We may make all kinds of plans, but it is ultimately the Lord’s purpose that will be worked out, and Jackson knew that. This should not lead to fatalism, but rather to comfort, courage and peace because we know that God is doing something to us, in us, and through us that we may not understand. Like a sick child going to the doctor who cannot fathom that the needle is not meant to harm but heal, we may not understand God’s sovereign hand at work. Think of Joseph being sold into slavery, or Esther becoming queen—God’s purposes were being accomplished, although neither of them recognized that God would use their pains to help others; neither do we know what God will do in and through us.

God’s ways are beyond our own and while we plan our future as best as we are able, we rest in the knowledge that God is in control despite the decisions and acts of disobedience of man, and His purposes will be accomplished for His good pleasure and our indescribable joy. Amen.