When I was younger, my family and I were very involved in travel sports. We played year-round. It included basketball, football, and baseball. In every season, we were playing a different sport and going to different places all around the country. Naturally, this meant that we did a lot of road trips. These times were my favorite. We would see so many cool sights, visit unique places, and make some incredible memories on the way. However, not every trip had clear skies and easy travel. I remember one trip very vividly. We were heading home from Kentucky and traveling on the expressway. In the distance, we could see the dark clouds coming at us and we knew that a severe storm was on its way. I began to feel afraid as I saw what we were heading into. All I can remember is my dad saying, “I got this, don’t worry.” At that moment, I knew my dad was in control and there was no need to be afraid.
Sometimes, with heavier topics that may be hard to fully grasp, I think stories can help us understand these topics a little easier. The same goes for God’s sovereignty, which is the concept that God is always in control and His will and what He decides will always come about.
1. Do you have a story of a time when you were in a situation where you needed to trust the person who was in control? How did that make you feel?
2. Are you a person who likes to be in control? Why or why not?
Before we dive into this topic, I want us to have a clear definition of what we are talking about. God’s sovereignty can be defined as God being in control of all things and ruling over all things. This means that in all the good, bad, and evil in our world, God is in control and ruling over all of it. From the very beginning, God has been ruling with absolute authority over all creation.
Read Colossians 1:16-17.
3. According to this verse, what is the reason why God rules over all things?
4. If God has created everything, does He have the right to control it? Why or why not?
5. Why is it important that the ending of verse 17 says, “in him all things hold together”?
6. What does it mean that God holds all things together?
We see in these verses in Colossians that because God is the Creator of all things, He is, therefore, the one who is in charge of everything and rules over everything. He is the Creator, so He is the one who is allowed to exercise this authority.
It is one thing to have a right to control something or to be in charge of something; it is another thing to be in charge in a proper or good way. Your parents are in charge of your house, teachers are in charge of classrooms, and cops are in charge of upholding the law. Do they always exercise that authority in a good way? If I go flying, the pilot is in charge. I better hope that he is a good pilot! It can be helpful to look at how God controls His creation.
Here are a couple of verses that describe the way God exercises His authority over everything:
Romans 8:28
Matthew 6:26-33
Genesis 50:20
Isaiah 25:8-9
7. What in these verses shows you that God uses His control in a good way?
8. How does God display His sovereignty (absolute control) in the greatest way possible?
9. Is God just in control of the big things like salvation or creation, or is He in control of the small things as well? How does that bring you comfort? Why or why not?
10. When you look at what is going on in the world, do you think that God exercises His control in a good way?
11. Do you believe God is in control today the way these verses describe?
In our world today, this idea of God’s sovereignty can oftentimes be either misinterpreted or completely disregarded. We must make sure that we never do that. God is in control of His creation and He rules in an absolutely good way. Even if it may seem like God is distant from us, He is always working in everything to bring about His plan.
As we have been walking through God’s absolute control (His sovereignty), we looked at verses that discuss the fact that God is in control and that He rules in a good way. The final part of this study is personal. I believe the hardest part of learning about God’s sovereignty is not knowing what it is, but truly trusting in it.
12. Do you trust that God is in control of your life?
13. Does learning about the sovereignty of God over the world bring comfort or discomfort to your mind?
14. What aspects of God’s sovereignty are hard for you to understand?
Learning about this attribute of God is so important because it shows us that God is truly in charge of everything. He was in control when Jesus went to the cross to die for us, He was in control when you went to school this week, and He will continue to be in control forever. My prayer is that you would trust the Lord and be confident that He will bring about His will.