A Sweet Encouragement

A Sweet Encouragement
Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, once said, “The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the child of God rests his head at night, giving perfect peace.” Knowing that whatever shall come to pass is in the sovereign control of God is a great comfort to the Christian. To be reminded of the sovereignty of God is to be encouraged in the faith. Therefore, let us consider the hand of God in several areas of life.

First of all, let us consider the sovereignty of God in evangelism. As followers of Christ we are to go and tell others of the good news. Knowing that God is sovereign, the people of God can go and fulfill the commission given them with great confidence. It is not in the craftiness of one's speech that we rely, but on God who gives the new birth (John 3:8).  As we are faithful to go and tell others of Christ we have the assurance that His word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11). This gives confidence when sharing our faith. For if it were up to our words and smoothness of speech then we would certainly despair. Since Christ is the one who saves, the one who gives life by the Spirit, who gives the very faith needed as a gift, then we have confidence that He will continue to save His people (Matthew 1:21).

Secondly, consider the war that the Christian wages against the world, the flesh, and the devil. As we labor in Christ against this opposition we can find comfort in the sovereign care of God. It is God who enables us to stand in such a fight. It is God who enables us to resist the devil (James 4:7), put to death indwelling sin (Col. 3:5), and follow after Christ. To summarize Martin Luther, one of the great Protestant Reformers: the devil is God’s devil. Even the devil, who does indeed roam around as a lion seeking one to devour, is subject to the sovereign hand of God. 

Lastly, consider the number of your days. Every man, woman, and child have only so much time. The Lord knows the day and time when He will bring each of us out of this world and unto Himself. None go “too soon” but exactly as God has ordained (Psalm 139:16). Therefore, I can trust that the Lord will sustain me to the end. You nor I shall die until the Lord sees fit to take us home. This is no license to hasten the demise of the body, but freedom to live for Christ knowing that our days are in His hands. May we all find comfort in the sovereign hand of God as we look to every part of life.

Grace be with you,
C. R. Hamilton