Sovereignty

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. (Psalm 115:3)

The theme of my life the past 24 hours has been simple: God will do whatever He wants and there's nothing I can do to take away His sovereignty. If He wants to make it rain, it will rain. If He wants to give me more money, I'll get it. If not, I won't. If He wants me to wake up one morning and spontaneously fill me with the Holy Spirit, that too will happen. In fact, that's exactly what happened to me this morning.

For the past few months I have been starting the first couple hours of my day slowly - physically, mentally and spiritually. But today as I was dropping my kids off at school I felt different. My legs were moving with ease. My mind wasn't foggy. I felt the Holy Spirit touch me in such a way that I could preach a 2-hour sermon. I spent the next 15 minutes driving to grab breakfast and worshipping the LORD, praying in tongues, and shouting with praise.

I asked God, "Why today? What did I do to deserve this blessing?" I didn't understand how I could spontaneously be filled with the Holy Spirit when there's nothing I did to initiate. I didn't wake up any differently and my routine didn't change. In truth, I felt very undeserving. But the Spirit of God was moving in me so powerfully that I felt like I could run cross-country like Forrest Gump.

The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. (Psalm 135:6)

God answered my prayer quickly with a reminder about His sovereignty. I had always thought about God's sovereignty as it pertains to the tangible world around me, but less often about what's happening within me. What He showed me today is that He will pour out His Spirit freely, as He pleases. Why today? I don't know still, but I'm writing about it so maybe someone needs to read this. Or maybe I just need to write it. We cannot wrap our mind around everything He does because His ways transcend ours.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

I did say that God's sovereignty has been the theme of my life the past 24 hours and it's true. Just yesterday, God spoke to me and reminded me that I am not the LORD of my life. I do not have control because I relinquished it at the Cross. When I made Jesus Christ the LORD of my life and asked Him to forgive and cleanse me of my sin, I abandoned any and all control I ever had. Being a follower of Jesus means that I cannot be His leader. I don't get to tell Him what to do. I can certainly make petitions to God and ask, but ultimately I am not the decision-maker. He will do whatever He pleases. So when things don't go my way and I keep getting the same response from God, that's where I need to submit and say, "Your will be done."

If you are someone that likes to be in control, it can be hard making Jesus your LORD at first. It can be intimidating knowing that we serve a God that can do whatever He wants and we have no authority over Him. But by God's Word we are comforted and made aware of the peaceful thoughts He has towards us. We are shown by the scripture that Jesus loves and cares for us, so we need not fear or worry. Just as He blessed me today with a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I believe God will do the same for anyone that loves Him and lowers themselves under Him.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)