Sovereign Presence
The lyrics of Chris Tomlin washed over me Last Lord’s Day morning… In your everlasting arms…All the pieces of my life…From beginning to the end, I can trust you…In your never failing love…You work everything for good…God whatever comes my way…I will trust you…God whatever comes my way…I will trust you… Overwhelming words of love and trust
Who is this Sovereign God who loves us so? See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. I John 3:1-3
What kind of love is ours? I John 4: 7 – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Why can the world not see this love? I John 4:8 – Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
What does it mean to be God’s child? I John 5:10 – By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
What will we receive as God’s child? I Peter 3:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
How can we become like Jesus is? I Peter 1:22-23 – Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
I Peter 3:8-9 – You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
Loving God, having faith that He is, is the source of inexpressible joy and knowing that He loves us is a source of wonder and mystery. Each day, through pain and suffering, He gives us hope and peace for each moment we live. Who else can we trust with all the pieces of our lives, from beginning to end?
As the wrinkles crease my face, my eyes dim and my steps falter, I read these words that appear on the page, the truth of God’s love becomes even more powerful. The clarity of Truth fills my heart with understanding. I can only truly trust these words of God’s.
Many books are written, words assail us on every side. Words, written or spoken, that entertain or distract us from The Word, Jesus.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3
Jesus was with God in the beginning. He is with God now. There is no way that God and Jesus may be separated in any way in their purpose and in their love for us. Jesus is more than a good teacher, He is our Savior, if we accept Him.
His Presence in our hearts constantly gives us an awareness that God is with us. Jude 22-23 – Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
The decision is individual, the decision is personal – between you and God. Next time I listen to this song of praise to God, a song of comfort and trust, the lyrics will pierce my heart with hope and joy. Not for the moment, but I will continue to praise God with an overwhelming joy of what is and what is to come through Jesus our Savior.
God whatever comes my way I will trust you…All my hopes, All I need, Held in your hands!
All my life, All of me, Held in your hands…All my fears, All my dreams, Held in your hands!
All my hopes, All I need, Held in your hands…All my life, All of me, Held in your hands!
All my fears, All my dreams, Held in your hands…In your everlasting arms, All the pieces of my life…
All my life, All of me, Held in your hands…All my fears, All my dreams, Held in your hands!
All my hopes, All I need, Held in your hands…All my life, All of me, Held in your hands!
All my fears, All my dreams, Held in your hands…In your everlasting arms, All the pieces of my life…
From beginning to the end…I can trust you. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMTG13qVY3g&list=RDJMTG13qVY3g)
And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them…Acts 4:24.