It seems to me that one of the best ways to establish the greatness & worship-worthiness of God is by understanding that He controls absolutely everything.
Like I said before, he made us, he saves us, and everything that happens to us is under His control. And I’ll say it again – everything.
Anyone can doubt this fact when things seem to be falling apart around us, so it’s a good idea to get it settled in our heads now when things are relatively peaceful. (And even if they’re not, you’re still encouraged to participate.)
First, the promises
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
I hate to be a stickler (seriously, I can’t stand stickling), but I have to point out something that is regularly glossed right over. This promise is real, and it’s watertight. But, it is not universal. People seem to forget that. But look at the words. Who exactly is the promise for (and for no one else)? It’s for “those who love God” and “those who are called according to his purpose”. You have to be cooperating with the plan of God before you can claim the protection of God. This kind of blessing is not for everyone.
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. (Psalm 127:1)
Keep in mind that these statements are absolutely true. They’re not nice ideas or even beautiful wishes. They are also not poetic license. They’re true, and they say that if God doesn’t either cause or allow something to be it will not be. You can do whatever you want, but it will end in nothing if God doesn’t approve. This is also true for other people, earthquakes, Satan, mosquitoes, ice cubes, etc.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matt 10:29~31)
There are four key points in the verses above.
1. Even two sparrows have almost no value at all.
2. You are much more valuable than many sparrows.
3. Nothing happens to the worthless sparrows “apart from” God’s will, so is it possible that things just randomly happen to you?
4. The words translated "apart from" are from a Greek word meaning “without one's will or intervention”.
These are just four specific examples of a theme that runs throughout the Bible: There is no such thing as chance. There’s no luck. There’s no fate. What there is is a powerful & loving God.
Now, the logic
If God is God, he must be perfect in every way. There are philosophical proofs for this, but I won’t go into them now. For now, just trust me.
If God is perfect in every way – and if the biblical accounts of His character are even close to accurate – then He must be perfect in knowledge, power and His greatest attribute, love.
If God is all-knowing He can never make a mistake. There’s never been a divine oops, and there never will be. He knows everything about everything. Okay? Now, hold that thought.
If God is all-powerful, there is nothing He cannot do. Nothing He cannot do. Nothing. All of which seems to indicate that He can do anything.
And finally, if God is all-loving, He will always act in perfect love. For this to make any sense, you have to realize that love, as defined in the Bible, is not a feeling. It’s an attitude. And the attitude is one in which the lover desires and does the best for the beloved no matter what.
So, let’s summarize what we have here:
1. God knows everything about you.
2. God can do absolutely anything He chooses to do.
3. This same God has promised to always seek your greatest good.
He’s never going to make any mistakes – like the time that in all sincerity, I got my wife a wooden ladder for Christmas and wrapped it in a black trash bag. (She did not like that.)
And He’s never going to try to stop evil from happening to you but find Himself too weak.
All-knowing
All-powerful
All-loving
It’s the “tri-fecta of faith”.
It’s also pretty awesome when you think about it. And I encourage you to think about it.
Now, like a very wise man (note: that man was me) has said: “You do the math.”
