God Is in Control

God Is in Control
Thursday, March 19, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.”

Daniel 4:1–3

In the uncertainty and fear that followed the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, General James Garfield, who would later become president himself, addressed a large crowd of worried people with these words: “Fellow citizens, clouds of darkness are round about God. His pavilion is surrounded by dark waters and thick clouds. But justice and judgment are the habitation of His throne. Mercy and truth go before His face. Fellow citizens, God reigns!”

All of us have times of uncertainty and fear in life. Bad things do happen to good people. Things seem to spin out of control. But in every case and situation, God is sovereign and in control. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Nothing forces Him to switch to a backup plan. Nothing on earth can shake the purpose of Heaven. Even the mightiest king of the ancient world, Nebuchadnezzar found that his power was nothing compared to that of God.

The way we respond to life is governed by the way we view God. If we remember that He holds dominion over everything, then we will trust Him even when things go wrong. While we would not presume to say that we know better than God, too often we act is if that were true. When He does not conform to our plans, we doubt His love and question His power. Instead, we should rest in His promises and know that He only wants what is best—and that He is able to bring about what His wisdom and love decree for us.

Today's Growth Principle:
God’s control over our lives is the same whether or not things are going well in our view.

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“For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’” --John 4:37 The great English preacher Francis Dixon asked a young man in his church named Noelle to give his testimony at a revival. So Noelle stood up and gave this testimony: “I was in Sydney, Australia when a little old man walked up to me and said, ‘Sir, if you were to die today, do you know where you would spend eternity?’ “With that the old man turned on his heel, said, ‘Toodle-loo’, and walked away. So when I got back to England the first thing that I did was to seek out a pastor who led me to Christ.” After the service, a young man came up to Noelle and said, “That’s my testimony too. I met that same man!” Francis Dixon was so moved by this that when he went on a world tour of preaching, he shared it at every meeting. And when he preached in cities across Australia, he came across hundreds of people with the very same story. So when Dixon made it to Sydney, he tracked down this old man at his home and told him about all of those people who had come to Christ through him. The old gentleman broke down and said, “Sir, this is the first time in my life that I’ve known of anyone who has ever come to Jesus because of my witness.” Some sow the seeds; some harvest. So whatever role God calls you to fulfill, be faithful in it because you never know the impact you can have! GOD GIVES EVERY CHRISTIAN A DIFFERENT ROLE IN HIS KINGDOM PURPOSES. SO WHEREVER HE CALLS YOU, BE FAITHFUL AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS!