June 25, 2026 - God's Sovereignty
- brooks16055
- Jun 25
- 3 min read
Romans 9:16-18
16It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
Romans 9:19-21
19One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ” 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
Before reading today I spent some time talking to God. And again as so often it does it turns my heart and mind to the sovereignty of God. That is what these scriptures are talking about as well. There is nothing that we can do to be saved it is all up to God. He is the one who has final say. It is difficult to reconcile God's ultimate power and control and our free will. But I have found that if I don't try to put God into the box of my human understanding and take Him at His word then I can find true peace.
Today as I prayed, I asked for guidance and wondered why He won't just tell me what to do. I truly want to know and want to please Him so just tell me and I will do it. Then I realized that if He told me what to do at all times then it would not be my free will. But instead, He knows all things. He knows what I am going to do and has already worked it into His plan. Also, His sovereignty gives me peace when things aren't going the way I would like. When the answer to my prayers is no or wait. Understanding God's sovereignty has given me the ability to really mean it when I pray thy will be done and be at peace with whatever the answer.
God's sovereignty is a tough concept. I found this podcast that is great at breaking it down and supporting it with tons of scripture including a couple from Romans. Take a listen. I shared a couple quotes from it below.
First, the sovereignty of God is governed by his wisdom. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33). Everything that is unsearchable and inscrutable to us is governed by the deepest divine wisdom. God never does anything or allows anything whimsically — that is, in a meaningless way or randomly or without an infinitely wise purpose. That’s huge. That is a big thing that we must come to terms with when we think about God’s sovereignty.
Second, his sovereignty is governed by his justice and his mercy. “For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18). Or, “Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!” (Romans 9:14). God never, never wrongs anyone. All that he does is righteous and just, but even justice is not the final and highest aim of God’s wisdom. The ultimate aim is that he be glorified for his mercy and his grace toward undeserving rebels. He sovereignly planned and accomplished salvation for sinners by the death of his Son. Because of that, we get a quote like this, from Romans 15:9: “And in order that the Gentiles [the nations] might glorify God for his mercy.”
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