Durruck
Pirate!
Too Big For Our Vocabulary?
By Jon Walker
“And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.” (2 Kings 19:15, NIV)
God becomes real in your life only when you submit to his sovereignty.
Sovereignty simply means God is in control, and that he has theright to be in control. Regardless of what you believe, the truth remains – God has been and always will be in control. He rules from his heavenly throne, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).
It's essential that you understand God's sovereignty as you move forward faithfully; otherwise, you won't be able to see the hand of God working actively through the details of your life (Romans 8:28). You're likely to become overwhelmed by the immensity ofthe task before you and soon you’ll be plagued by worry, doubt, and fatigue. By understanding his sovereignty, you’ll readily remember that God goes before you and God comes behind you as you faithfully serve him.
You may feel inadequate in your walk with Christ, but God created you for just this very moment, and he believes in you. He is ableto takewhat you giveand use it for his glory, andhe is able to handle any of your problems or concerns: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him …” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Why is this important?
· God is sovereign -- and that means he’s capable of providing for your every need. If you don’t trust that, ask God to show you why? I believe, Lord; help my unbelief.
· God’s greatness – Focus on God's sovereignty by remembering his greatness. We have a tendency to maximize our problems and minimize God's greatness. But when we do that, we also minimize - in our minds - God's ability to handle any problem. Instead, praise God for his greatness.
· When you pray, praise God. Begin your prayers by acknowledging God's sovereignty. You could start by quoting I Chronicles 29:11, "Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything." As you get to know God, you can add other praises related to his power, his goodness, and his faithfulness.
· Hezekiah’s Prayer -- When the city of Jerusalem faced certain destruction from an advancing army, Hezekiah, the king of Israel, sought God in prayer -- but instead of starting off with the problem of Jerusalem's imminent destruction, he first praised God and acknowledged God’s sovereignty: “God, God of Israel, seated in majesty on the cherubim-throne. You are the one and only God, sovereign over all kingdoms on earth, maker of heaven, maker of earth ….” (2 Kings 19:15-16). You can find out how God answered Hezekiah’s prayer by reading 2 Kings 19:20-35.
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.
By Jon Walker
“And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.” (2 Kings 19:15, NIV)
God becomes real in your life only when you submit to his sovereignty.
Sovereignty simply means God is in control, and that he has theright to be in control. Regardless of what you believe, the truth remains – God has been and always will be in control. He rules from his heavenly throne, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8).
It's essential that you understand God's sovereignty as you move forward faithfully; otherwise, you won't be able to see the hand of God working actively through the details of your life (Romans 8:28). You're likely to become overwhelmed by the immensity ofthe task before you and soon you’ll be plagued by worry, doubt, and fatigue. By understanding his sovereignty, you’ll readily remember that God goes before you and God comes behind you as you faithfully serve him.
You may feel inadequate in your walk with Christ, but God created you for just this very moment, and he believes in you. He is ableto takewhat you giveand use it for his glory, andhe is able to handle any of your problems or concerns: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him …” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Why is this important?
· God is sovereign -- and that means he’s capable of providing for your every need. If you don’t trust that, ask God to show you why? I believe, Lord; help my unbelief.
· God’s greatness – Focus on God's sovereignty by remembering his greatness. We have a tendency to maximize our problems and minimize God's greatness. But when we do that, we also minimize - in our minds - God's ability to handle any problem. Instead, praise God for his greatness.
· When you pray, praise God. Begin your prayers by acknowledging God's sovereignty. You could start by quoting I Chronicles 29:11, "Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything." As you get to know God, you can add other praises related to his power, his goodness, and his faithfulness.
· Hezekiah’s Prayer -- When the city of Jerusalem faced certain destruction from an advancing army, Hezekiah, the king of Israel, sought God in prayer -- but instead of starting off with the problem of Jerusalem's imminent destruction, he first praised God and acknowledged God’s sovereignty: “God, God of Israel, seated in majesty on the cherubim-throne. You are the one and only God, sovereign over all kingdoms on earth, maker of heaven, maker of earth ….” (2 Kings 19:15-16). You can find out how God answered Hezekiah’s prayer by reading 2 Kings 19:20-35.
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.