Sovereignty
Last week I turned around and a tree limb actually touched my eyeball. Not eyelid...eyeball. Instead of being panicked my mind exclaimed: "Sovereign God!"
How much closer could I have been to be blinded in one eye? Eighth inch? Quarter inch?
The mercies of the Lord endure forever. While I waited to see if a call for emergency medical treatment would be necessary instead of panicking my mind was exclaiming the gracious hand of the Sovereign God.
Sitting in a college classroom studying the Old Testament I asked Professor Odom why did one chapter in the Book of Psalms end every verse with "and the mercies of the Lord endureth forever" ( Psalm 136).
In my mind it seemed unnecessary to repeat something again and again. Boring. Monotonous. Routine. Who likes re-runs?
Yet I see in my memory the face of the professor as he hesitated. Finally he answered: "Maybe God thought it needed to be repeated until we get it."
Get it? How do you get God's infinite mercy? How do you comprehend His sovereignty?
Last week Jackline and Elishama lost their unborn child...their first. They were married two years while she waited in Egypt to come to him in America. He flew as often as he could to see his bride. They longed to be together in the U.S. When she arrived their excitement for her pregnancy was too much to measure! Then the child died in her womb.
I knelt beside her bed in the hospital and we talked. She looked at me and said: "Yes, I am sad. But My God knows. He is Sovereign!"
The solidness of her faith stirred my heart. In the midst of deep sorrow she trusts in God. Not understanding, she does not question. Not being able to hold her child, she believes in the sovereignty of God, the Resurrection, and seeing her son again.
Sharing with her family I said: "The Bible teaches us that God names the stars. If he would name a star how much more does He love this child into which He breathed soul?”
Sovereign God. He saw and understood the path of Charles Martin. He saw and understood a praying wife and prayerful parents. He knew that Charles would have cancer. He waited. Patiently Sovereign God waited.
Charles came home to Jesus. Charles wanted to be baptized. We thought it prudent to baptize him when his strength could afford the energy. The cancer has gone to his brain. He is in treatment. He came from a doctor's office on a Thursday afternoon. His mom, dad and brother drove more than 125 miles to be present. His wife, a son, friends, and Covenant's youth minister were present. I shared a brief message. Charles gave his testimony. His brother and son helped him into the pool.
I asked his dad to join me in baptizing Charles. When Charles came up from the water he chose to sit in the baptistry for about 15 minutes prayerfully thanking Sovereign God. During this time I asked his dad to place hands on him and give him a father's blessing. What a beautiful memory that day is for all of us.
Oh, how great is Our Sovereign God to be patient with us. To carry us. To watch over us. To be merciful to us. To love us when we are not lovable.
We cannot comprehend Him. We cannot approach Him but in the Spirit. We cannot measure Him. But through the Spirit we can know Him. We can enter into His Presence. We can sit at His feet. We can feel the protective hand of Our God.
May you live in His favor. May you be obedient to His will. May you do and say the things that draw you close to Him. Remember the Sovereign God who watches and cares for the smallest of birds loves you so much more than birds (Luke 12:7).
In wonder of His grace,
Pastor Bare