Is The World Out of Control?
The world today appears to be out of control. When you watch or listen or read about the news, we are having global tumult. Has all this chaos happened just recently? The apparent answer is “No!” Just in my 80+ years on this earth, I have been a witness to:
1940s-World War II and the Great Depression
1950s-Cold War between the Soviet Union and the USA (even caused us to have nuclear war drills at school-hiding under our desks), the Korean War, racial segregation eruption.
1960s-Vietnam War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Civil rights movement.
1970s-20 years’ Vietnam War continues until 1975 causing political and social turmoil, Watergate scandal, energy crisis caused by the oil embargo.
1980s-Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, AIDS epidemic, 1987 stock market crash.
1990s-Genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, LA racial riots, World Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombings, Waco siege, Internet and globalization technology with both positive and negative consequences.
2000-2010-Terrorism escalated by September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks against USA. Natural disasters like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 caused widespread devastation. The global recession of 2007-2008 led to economic downturns worldwide. 20 years’ war in Afghanistan begins.
2010-20s- United Nations issued a dire warning in October 2018 that we have only 12 years left to prevent a global climate change catastrophe. Global COVID pandemic killed millions and sent countries like the USA into lockdown. Inflation and economic downturn is threatening our livelihoods. Russia invaded Ukraine, Hamas attacked Israel, and the resulting wars have a negative global effect.
It is obvious that we live in a fallen and broken world. The good news is that we have a Sovereign God. There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God’s influence and authority. Consider just a few of the claims the Bible makes about the Sovereignty of God:
God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him (Revelation 21:6, Proverbs 15:3).
Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:11 wrote that believers in Christ have been “predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will”. In other words, God has a plan, and nothing is going to derail His plan as a whole and for us individually.
Apostle Paul acknowledged that life in this fallen world is a frustrating mess (Romans 8:20-23), but he says we can be assured that God is using even the smallest details and most insignificant events to accomplish His good purpose in our lives. That purpose is that we become like Jesus. Romans 8:28-29 “ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son….”
However messy things look on the outside, God is at work behind the scenes in our lives to accomplish His eternal purpose. And He will accomplish it, for His own glory (Ephesians 1:12). Even our mistakes, many though they may be, won’t thwart His plan. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Like Joseph, we may ultimately understand in this life why God allows events to transpire as they do (Genesis 50:20). Or like many Old Testament saints, we may never be able to put the puzzle together this side of heaven (Hebrews 11:35-40).
God created all things and holds all things together, both in heaven and on earth, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16-17).
God knows all things past, present, and future (Titus 1:2). God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33).
God can do all things and accomplish all things. Nothing is too difficult for Him, and He orchestrates and determines everything that is going to happen in your life, in the USA, and throughout the world. Whatever He wants to do in the universe, He does, for nothing is impossible with Him (1 Chron. 29:11-12, Jeremiah 32:17).
God is in control of all things and rules over all things. He has power and authority over nature, earthly kings, history, angels, and demons. Even Satan himself has to ask God’s permission before he can act (Job 1:6-12, Psalm 103:19).
That’s what being sovereign means. It means being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything (including time and space) that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it’s God’s Sovereignty that makes Him superior to all other gods and makes Him, and Him alone, worthy of worship.
God’s Sovereignty calls for our submission. God’s sovereignty compels us to bow before Him. But unlike corrupt earthly leaders and politicians who abuse their authority to control their subjects, God rules in love. God is love. (1 John 4:8) This is an amazing reality to grasp; that an all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, and all-loving God loves us individually and wants the best for us.
A.W. Tozer, author of The Pursuit of God, “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who hasn’t surrendered His authority.”
Praise God that He is in control.
