The Sovereignty of God

God is sovereign over all things:

  • “The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19, NIV)
  • “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” (Psalm 115:3)
  • “The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” (Psalm 135:6)

God is sovereign over nations:

  • “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others….” (Daniel 2:21)
  • “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.” (Isaiah 40:15)

God is sovereign over success:

  • “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
  • “A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way? (Proverbs 20:24)
  • “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.” (Ecclesiastes 7:14)

The life of Joseph helps us understand God’s sovereignty over our lives.

In Genesis 37 we read that Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.

This was a scary time for Joseph. He did not know if he would ever see his family again.

In Egypt, he became the servant of Potiphar, the chief of Pharaoh’s guard. Eventually, Potiphar promoted Joseph over his household, but he was falsely accused and sent to prison for two years (Genesis 41:1).

This was a dire situation. But even in prison Joseph did the right thing and God blessed him. The prison warden set Joseph over the prison.

God gave Jospeh the ability to interpret dreams. Eventually, the cupbearer (a former prisoner) told Pharaoh about Joseph’s ability. After successfully interpreting Pharaoh’s dream (that God would send seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine) and recommending a plan of action, Pharaoh released Joseph from prison and made him second in command over all of Egypt:

“Then Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit of God?’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to you orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.’ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.'” (Genesis 41:38-41)

Joseph went from imprisoned slave to governor of Egypt in one day.

Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toulouse – Le triomphe de Joseph Hilaire-Pader

Joseph’s story is very moving. I recommend reading it carefully. One can learn much about dealing with the difficulties of life.

Most importantly, the story reveals that God rules over big things and small things. God is sovereign over our successes and failures. God used Joseph’s adversities and successes to accomplish his purposes of salvation.

God used Joseph to save nations, including Egypt and Joseph’s family, the future nation of Israel and the ancestors of Jesus Christ.

During the famine, Joseph’s brothers were sent to Egypt to buy food twenty-two years after selling Joseph into slavery. They did not recognize Joseph, but Joseph recognized his brothers:

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.” (Genesis 45:4-8)

Joseph recognized God’s sovereignty. Later Joseph said:

“But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:19-20)

There are many lessons that can be learned from Joseph’s life. Here are a few.

  • Joseph entrusted himself to God in bad times and in good times.
  • Joseph took responsibility for his life and trusted God for the results.
  • Joseph was trustworthy in small things and in big things.
  • Joseph wanted to please God.

What about you?

The sovereignty of God is a wonderful thing. It frees you to do your best work while avoiding the anxiety that comes from thinking it all depends on you. Amazingly, God promises to use success and adversity for the good of those who obey Him (Romans 8:28-29).

Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

If you want to learn more about the sovereignty of God, listen to this:

Image Credits:

Cathédrale Saint-Étienne from Toulouse, The triumph of Joseph by Hilaire Pader. Copyright: CC BY-SA 4.0. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathédrale_Saint-Étienne_de_Toulouse_–_Le_triomphe_de_Joseph_Hilaire-Pader.jpg. Disclaimer: not an endorsement.