John MacArthur From Strength for Today Grace to You
“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory
and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that
is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O
Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all.”
– 1 Chronicles 29:11
God has unlimited power and ultimate control over everything.
There is no limit to God’s power. Revelation 19:6 says, “The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” In fact, one Hebrew name for God is El Shaddai (El means “God”; Shaddai means “almighty”). Another word for “almighty” is “omnipotent.”
God can do anything effortlessly. It is no more difficult for Him to create a universe than it is for Him to make a butterfly. We get tired when we work, but God’s infinite power never lessens: “The creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired” (Isa. 40:28).
Not only does God have unlimited power but also the authority to use it. “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Ps. 115:3). But God’s power, authority, and will are in harmony with His nature. He cannot sin, neither can He accept impenitent sinners. Such actions would contradict His holiness.
People often question what God does because they don’t understand that He can do anything He wants. They ask, “Why did God do that?” I’ve often replied, “Because He wanted to.” He showed His sovereignty—His ultimate control of everything—in showing mercy to some like Isaac and Jacob, while hardening the hearts of others like Pharaoh (Rom. 9:6-21). To those who object to God’s right to control such things, Paul said, “Who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay . . . ?” (vv. 20-21).
Never question God’s use of His power. He is in control, and “The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His deeds” (Ps. 145:17). We can trust that whatever He does, it’s for the best.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise God for His infinite power and sovereignty.
For Further Study:
Read Isaiah 40:21-31. How has God demonstrated His power? How has He demonstrated His sovereignty? What comfort should that bring to you?
Source : http://www.gty.org/Resources/Devotionals/strength
Copyright 2007, Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission
From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
_____________________________________________
Please read the “About” this blog page before placing a comment.
Articles placed or written on this blog are generally the position held by, and in agreement with, the blog administrators’ opinions. Further commentary by the administrators of this blog will therefore be limited. Public comments which do appear in response to the articles on this blog, are not necessarily representative of the opinion of the administrators of this blog or to be regarded as necessarily Biblically correct.
For the Love of His Truth 
Congrats and blessings with your new blog.
God reigns, that’s for sure, but there are some verses in Scripture that seem to indicate the opposite. For instance, in Revelation 11: 15 we read the following difficult verse:
According to this it seems God is presently not ruling or reigning over the kingdoms of the earth. Matthew 4:8-10 seems to verify my assumption. Jesus did not deny that the kingdoms of the earth are presently in the power and dominion of the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) when Satan tempted Him to worship him.
Another scripture that seems to substantiate my assumption is Luke 20:42, 43:
His enemies (the unbelievers, false apostles and prophets, atheists, professing Christians) are presently not a footstool for his feet. They are roaming the earth freely, doing and saying whatever they want without any immediate judgment.
I ask these questions because the popular saying “God is in control” is not always the appropriate thing to do, especially when someone wants to know why God did this or argues that “if He is in control why didn’t He stop my beloved husband, wife or child from being murdered so brutally?” We live in perilous times and things are going to wax worse and worse. Most people who have asked me these questions find it very difficult to accept the “God is in control” answer. I remember someone asking me once: “Why are so many little babies butchered in their mother’s wombs (abortion). If God is in control why doesn’t He stop it? If He is an all powerful God as you say then He should stop these atrocities. If it happened simply because God wanted it to happen, what kind of a God is He who murders little babies?” Can you see in what direction this kind of argument develops? They inadvertently begin to believe that God is the author of all sin, even the sin of abortion because He wanted it to happen. The only answer I could give the person was the following: “You are blaming the wrong person for the murder of little babies. God is not a murderer, Satan is (John 8:44) and the earth is presently still firmly in his grip.”
It sounds very pious and wonderful when you tell unbelievers that God is in control especially when they ask difficult questions, but I have experienced an aversion to the Gospel among peoople when you tell them this. In fact, you close the door to the Gospel when you tel them “God is in control.”
LikeLike
If God is all powerful and can do anything He wants to, why won’t all be saved? He wants them to be and He is able to do it? Why will most of His creation spend eternity separated from Him? Unless of course He has allowed our will to be greater than His?
LikeLike