Who is running the world?
Do humans run planet earth or does God? I suppose it would be good for Christians to make up our minds about this essential issue before we address the three questions that I am going to leave with you today. My purpose is not to drop a lengthy dissertation on the sovereignty of God into this blog post. My mind is already made up on the issue of who runs the world. The answer from Scripture is that God sits on His throne and superintends the entire created order which, of course, includes planet earth. Do not mistake this to mean that God endorses everything which occurs on our planet. He certainly does not. Yet, from the place of His eternal authority and wisdom, God harnesses for His high and holy purposes every activity, idea, word and thought that is released by humans on earth. God is in complete control. If anything occurred outside of His authority, that would mean that something is above or beyond Him. If that were to occur, He could not be God. I acknowledge there is much mystery surrounding God’s sovereignty, but Psalm 115:3 is clear that “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.”
Because God is the initiator, facilitator and consummator of His plan for the ages, we can live with a certainty that there is meaning to human life. There is a divine Why behind the human What. God created human beings for a purpose that has not been changed, forgotten or abandoned. In the simplest form, God’s all-encompassing plan has been to create for Himself a family with whom He will exist for all eternity. Under the umbrella of God’s creating for Himself a family, our own stories exist. Our individual stories are attached to His eternal story. We find our meaning, identity and purpose in the context of who we are to God. The mind-blowing realization that God intentionally created you in order to weave you as a brilliant thread into the immeasurable tapestry of His eternal plans should cause you to catch your breath from time to time. You are not lost in the sea of numberless humanity. You are an on-purpose expression of the fathomless, beautiful and glorious heart of the Almighty. He actually thinks about you. He really knows you. He rejoices over the why of His creation of you. He laughs at the notion that you are anything less than significant – a one of a kind expression of the enormity of His wisdom and love. He is happily watching you read these words right now, knowing that your mind and heart are being stretched toward Him by a divine draw. You and I have always been a part of our Father’s plan. He is calling us to a renewed awakening to this reality.
In the next few blog posts, I am going to submit three questions about our lives for us to consider. For me, these three questions were not as important to answer in my younger years. I minimized the urgency of needing to pursue understanding to these types of things. Frankly I was too busy enjoying the immediate activity of my life, with most of it occurring in an uber-Christianized context. It is certain that I lived in a high level of assumption, as do most Jesus-followers, that my life was being lived out in alignment with the answers to these three questions. Looking back, the best I can say is that, if my life was properly aligned with the answers to these three questions, it was more accidental than intentional. Holy Spirit has been moving deeply in my own heart for several years to never again assume I have these questions answered properly. As greater awareness comes to me, my life continues to change. Consequently, the public ministry God has entrusted to me has undergone significant changes as my understanding is grown in this pursuit. Simply put, I am unable to stand pat in a former awareness when God continues to bring greater definition to the questions I am going to submit in these blogs. What am I talking about?
I have been continually pressing in to be as confident as I may be that I am living in proper alignment to:
1. What is God doing?
2. What is God saying?
3. How does God desire me to respond to what He is saying and doing?
In at least three more posts after this one, I plan to address these three questions. The answers we individually receive to these questions WILL NOT be detached from God’s activity and communication for all people in all ages. These answers will certainly have individualized impact for each of us, but what God is saying and doing in the midst of our generation is foundationally a revelation of what has been coming from His infinite heart since He deposited Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. We share an ongoing story with them and with all others who have comprised in the past, currently comprise and will comprise in the future the Family of God.
Check back here to read what comes next, or follow Transforming Truth on Facebook and Twitter (@Jeff4Truth) to be immediately notified when the new blogs are posted. I can promise you that your own life will experience ongoing transformation when you begin to pursue God’s answers to these three questions. Answers will not likely come to the casual Christian who is content to live with or without knowing what God is doing, what God is saying, or how He desires them to respond to what He is doing and saying. For those who do not wish to risk squandering another season of their lives, the answers are available and the Father is waiting to release them.
First, I love the the concept that God created us as a family for himself!!
Next, I am excited to see where these questions lead me…look forward to your blogs!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
This reminds me a lot of what I learned decades ago in an Experiencing God study. It was a life-changing study, and I would sum it up like this: stop asking “What is God doing in my life?” and start asking “What is God doing?” Figure that out, and then go join in. I”m going to do this same study again later again this year and it will be fascinating to see how and if it’s different this time. Kinda like what you are saying in this introductory post. I”m looking forward to hearing your answers to the 3 questions.