Devo for Wed Dec 28, 2005
Today I shared a devotional thought about God's sovereignty.
We started by looking at a brief clip from "Apollo 13," scene 8, in which the main capsule's power is shut down and the men are moved to the LEM. Their lives were now controlled, to a degree, by the good folks in Houston.
Then I read from the shorter catechism a paragraph about the tension many feel when thinking about God's control over ALL creation. This includes the "over-all" picture, and encompasses the "small things" as well as the "big" things of life.
"In other words, the 'big' things really depend on the 'little' things. If the little things are not under control, the big things cannot be either."
The objections to this doctrine, including the argument that this means men are but pawns on the chessboard, or are reduced to helpless robots, were answered simply:
We know from the Bible that we are responsible. We know from the same Bible that God does control us, so that He also determines what we do. So we accept this teaching because it is the teaching of the Bible, and not because we can explain it.
Application: I suggested that today we should practice "powering down," as the astronauts did in the movie...let go of any sense that I am in control of my life, and place my day in God's hands, into His control.
As you and I go about our day, let's acknowledge His sovereignty in all of life, including the small things, and let Him work as He sees fit in our lives.
~~~~~
For your reference, here's the point from the catechism:
Q.11. What are God's works of providence?
A. God's works of providence are, his most holy,(a) wise,(b) and powerful (c) preserving (d) and governing (e) all his creatures, and all their actions.(f)
(a) Ps. 145:17
(b) Ps. 104:24
(c) Heb. 1:3
(d) Neh. 9:6
(e) Eph. 1:19-22
(f) Ps. 36:6; Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:30
We started by looking at a brief clip from "Apollo 13," scene 8, in which the main capsule's power is shut down and the men are moved to the LEM. Their lives were now controlled, to a degree, by the good folks in Houston.
Then I read from the shorter catechism a paragraph about the tension many feel when thinking about God's control over ALL creation. This includes the "over-all" picture, and encompasses the "small things" as well as the "big" things of life.
"In other words, the 'big' things really depend on the 'little' things. If the little things are not under control, the big things cannot be either."
The objections to this doctrine, including the argument that this means men are but pawns on the chessboard, or are reduced to helpless robots, were answered simply:
We know from the Bible that we are responsible. We know from the same Bible that God does control us, so that He also determines what we do. So we accept this teaching because it is the teaching of the Bible, and not because we can explain it.
Application: I suggested that today we should practice "powering down," as the astronauts did in the movie...let go of any sense that I am in control of my life, and place my day in God's hands, into His control.
As you and I go about our day, let's acknowledge His sovereignty in all of life, including the small things, and let Him work as He sees fit in our lives.
~~~~~
For your reference, here's the point from the catechism:
Q.11. What are God's works of providence?
A. God's works of providence are, his most holy,(a) wise,(b) and powerful (c) preserving (d) and governing (e) all his creatures, and all their actions.(f)
(a) Ps. 145:17
(b) Ps. 104:24
(c) Heb. 1:3
(d) Neh. 9:6
(e) Eph. 1:19-22
(f) Ps. 36:6; Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:30
posted by John F at 9:21 AM
1 Comments:
I always felt that God didn't actually control our lives so much as he knows what our decisions will be and he provides us with choices that can lead us to Him or away from Him. To many this does seem like He is controlling us and our environment but personally I've felt that His desire to have relationship with us is so great that He simply continues giving us those life changing choices as often as possible. Each decision or choice that we make molds us either into the person we can be with God or into the person that is separated from our Creator. And the bottom line is that if you don't choose to have relationship with God here on Earth then you aren't prepared for a life after Earth.
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