I ’ ve heard of an old man , a stalwart of the Christian faith , who slipped from earth to heaven with the words of a child ’ s song upon his lips : “ I have decided to follow Jesus , no turning back .”
I ’ ve heard the account of a renowned theologian who summarized his entire life ’ s work in a melody he learned upon his mother ’ s knee : “ Jesus loves me , this I know , for the Bible tells me so .” Sometimes the simplest words are the most important . Though we hike beyond theological foothills to explore the towering mountains of God ’ s thoughts and deeds , we never forget the beauty , never stop needing the blessing , of the simplest truths .
I once attended a church where it was the custom of the pastor to pause in his liturgies or sermons to say , “ God is good ,” to which the congregation would reply , “ All the time .” Then he would say , “ All the time ,” and the congregation would answer , “ God is good .” It was a recital of the simplest of truths — that goodness is not an occasional attribute of God , not an infrequent disposition , but a constant one . It was meant to remind us that God ’ s goodness does not vary with our circumstances but is fully present and on display in our worst moments as well as our best , in our most lamentable experiences as well as our most joyful . And though the pastor ’ s little phrase may have become trite over time , though I may have grumbled about it in the past , today , right now , nothing is more precious to me , nothing is more important to me , than this : God is good all the time , and all the time God is good .
This is not the only truth that is propping me up . I ’ ve heard people in grief speak of God ’ s sovereignty , perhaps repeating a well-known phrase that compares it to a pillow upon which the child of God rests his head , giving perfect peace . Sovereignty speaks to power and the right to reign . It is the attribute of kings or potentates or others in positions of supremacy . Ultimately , it is an attribute of God himself , who rules heaven and earth to such a degree that nothing happens or can happen apart from his will . Nothing is given to us that does not pass first through God ’ s own hand . God ’ s sovereignty is a sweeping doctrine that touches every aspect of life across every moment of creation and every corner of the universe . There is no moment , no spot , no deed , no death , that falls outside of it .
God ’ s sovereignty is a sweeping doctrine that touches every aspect of life across every moment of creation and every corner of the universe .
God ’ s sovereignty is offering me comfort in these dark days . It assures me that there was no earthly power , no demonic power , no fate or force above or below , that had its way with my boy , that interrupted or superseded God ’ s plan for him . There was no moment in which God turned his back or got distracted with other affairs or nodded off to sleep . There was no medical deformity or genetic abnormality that had been overlooked by God . God ’ s sovereignty assures me that it was ultimately no one ’ s will but God ’ s that Nick lived just twenty short years , that he died with so much left undone , that he has departed and we have been left here without him . When Job was told of the death of his children , he did not say , “ The Lord gave , and the devil has taken away ,”
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