“Do you feel the world is broken?
(We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen?
(We do)
But do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through?
(We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new?
(We do).”*
In his song, “Is He Worthy?” Andrew Peterson artistically depicts the sufferings and outcries of people in the world that come as a result of the fall. Hate, disease, pain, starvation, broken relationships, and death are all but a taste of the result of sin. Just one glance at these forms of suffering, our natural and logical response often leads to feelings of hopelessness, dread, anxiety, and fear. But God, being rich in His love, His omniscience, and His sovereignty gives Christians every reason to have hope and joy, even in the deepest trials and sufferings. Because of these attributes of God in particular, Christians have every reason to trust Him in all things.
God’s love for His people is unfathomable. The very act of creating mankind and the universe alone proves this, yet He went so far beyond just creating a people for Himself. From before the foundation of the world, God has had a plan for saving a rebellious people, and changing their hearts to love Him, regardless of the cost to Himself or the fallibility of His chosen people. One example of this is found in His covenant made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 (the ceremony of which is recorded in Genesis 15). This covenant was a unilateral covenant (or a covenant in which only one party is responsible to act), in which God, knowing His people would certainly fail at keeping any bilateral covenant with Him, did not allow an opportunity for them to fail. If He chooses to love, He will love indeed.
Another beautiful picture of God’s love for His people is found in the heart of the Father, illustrated in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 7:7-11. Here, Jesus is teaching about prayer– specifically, prayer in which one makes a request of the Father. In verses 9-11 in this passage, Jesus says to the crowds, “which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Although fallen and sinful, a good father would never give his starving, desperate child a stone or serpent when he’s able to give them real food. In a much greater way, the almighty God of the universe, who loves His children infinitely more than a sinful father loves His own children, would never give them bad things when He’s able to give good gifts. Practically speaking, then, this means all things God gives or withholds from His children, regardless of whether the children desire these things, are good gifts purposefully given or withheld by Him. In all things, His people can trust that He has our greatest good in mind at all times, regardless of circumstance.
The most evident example of God’s love is found in what God the Son, Jesus, did for His people on the cross. Paul summarizes what He did beautifully in Philippians 2:5-11;
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
To God alone be all the glory.
God’s sovereignty is one of His most precious attributes. Simply put, God’s sovereignty means that in all things, He is able to do whatever He desires. Even further, He does whatever He desires. In every instance, before time began, God has chosen whatever has or will come to pass, all of which has fallen and will fall under His good will. The only thing He cannot do is go against His own character (for example, He cannot lie as Hebrews 6:18 says).
Perhaps the best proof texts for God’s sovereignty are found in Psalm 115:3, Proverbs 19:21, Lamentations 3:37, and Amos 3:6; each of which discusses different aspects of His sovereignty. Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.” Again, all that God desires to happen will happen at His command. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” This verse shows that the mind and decisions of man can be completely different from God’s plan, but God’s purposes will always prevail despite man’s intentions. Lamentations 3:37 goes as far as to say, “who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it.” All things that happen come by God’s word, even calamity as Amos 3:6 suggests (“Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?”). In all things, seemingly good or bad in the opinion of Christians, the good God of the universe is sovereign over them.
God’s omniscience is the third of His attributes that allow Christians to have full confidence in Him. Regarding God’s omniscience, Wayne Grudem in his Systematic Theology states, “God’s knowledge (omniscience) may be defined as follows: God fully knows Himself and all things actual and possible in one simple eternal act”.** To know “all things actual and possible in one simple eternal act” means that in all things and at all times, He knew the best possible scenario of all scenarios in eternity past. Evidence of God’s omniscience and His sovereignty combined is found in Isaiah 46:9-10 which says, “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” This is true even for the smallest of scenarios as well. Matthew 10:30 says, “even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” In regards to knowing all things possible, there are several verses throughout Scripture indicating that the results of certain events would have differed if the people involved in those events responded in a different way. This is seen in passages such as 1 Samuel 23:11-13 and Matthew 11:21-23.
Perhaps the most encouraging verse in discussing God’s omniscience is Isaiah 55:8-9, which says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Many believe they know what is best, but if reality contradicts what they believe, this is evidence they have no clue. God’s omniscience is so far greater than the wisdom of man.
These three attributes are only good news to the Christian if they are combined with each other. A loving God with no sovereignty or omniscience has no power or wisdom to provide for our needs. A sovereign God with no love or omniscience feels no regard towards His people and lacks the wisdom to provide well for our needs. An omniscient God with no love or sovereignty again, does not care and lacks the power to do anything for Christians. But with a wholly loving, sovereign, omniscient God, Christians can trust that in all circumstances, God chose with His infinite wisdom what was best for His children and for His glory. With this in mind, Christians can heartily say in all things, “It is well with my soul”.***
* Peterson, Andrew. Is He Worthy?. Vamos Publishing, 2018. Accessed August 10th, 2023. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/christomlin/isheworthy.html
** Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology, Second Edition: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Zondervan, 2020.
*** Spafford, Horatio. It is well with my soul. Ira Sankey, 1876. Accessed August 10th, 2023. https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/341
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