The Flavor of God - Part 4

Our Sovereign King

Sovereignty is a distinct and unifying attribute of God's essence. Our Most High Sovereign unlocks the mind-of-the-spirit to receive a measure of wisdom, imperatives, and infinite love we would otherwise never have access to or receive. The Holy Spirit transfers these mysteries to our heart; His purpose is to produce kingdom results in order to have a relationship with His children, because He loves us.

Pondering: Christian women tend to be incredibly discerning about Gods' love for His creation. For example, we deeply love our babies and would die to save them, and we sometimes find it distasteful to punish our children. What purpose is there in punishing a child if the child does not understand what they did wrong? Why not concentrate on rewarding for good deeds? What does God want from us?

"The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it" (Psalms 24:1 NASB).

Coaching: The literal translation of "all it contains" means all the fullness God has to give. God owns everything because He made everything (Psalms 24:1-6). The purpose of God's sovereign love is to motivate us to strive for holiness through clean hands, humble feet, and a pure heart. The Holy Spirit shepherds our path when we strive for His standards. God's purpose is to achieve a relationship with His creation through the wisdom-of-the-Word. We are children of the Most High Sovereign and to respect His standards is proof of our love for Him, Likewise, when we allow God to be our Father, He proves His mercy and loving-kindness toward us.

What the righteousness of our Sovereign God demands, the justice of our loving God executes. What does that mean? Simply put, we reap the result of our life choices. God judges our decisions and rewards us with blessings or teaches us through discipline, much the same way as a loving father does when his child continues in sin. However, more often than not, the discipline we receive is the result of our own bad choices, not necessarily discipline from God. When God disciplines a child of His it is because of His love and desire to bless us with peace, rest, and love for others. And just like many of us find it distasteful to discipline our children and shower them with blessing, God would rather rain blessings on us.

God's sovereign nature is both the source of all creation and the source of all goodness, therefore, He judges His creation on His profound moral character. Even the angels and other created beings in heavenly places recognize His sovereignty.

"In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim's stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:1-3 NASB).

Our King desires to fellowship with His creation and created a way to do so through the death of Christ; our relationship with God is reconciled forever (2 Corinthians 5:19) because of the Lord Jesus. God moves His creation toward His standards in order to fulfill His kingdom's purpose. He created a way in which freedom is a real possibility. Although God does not predestine our choices or the the consequences of those choices, He has predestined a way for all to be reconciled to a relationship with Him. Therefore, human beings find genuine freedom in submitting themselves to the sovereign will of God as He reveals Himself.

When we are alone with God moments occur when His essence flows through us and He brings-to-light His loving presence. Those who belong to God will not be immune from suffering nor spared the brokenness life can bring. God's people are privileged and blessed with spiritual rest, resources, and strength to persevere in times of difficulty. Our Sovereign God chose to identify with His creation through the cross-of-Christ. There is no greater example of His awe-inspiring purpose than the love He gave us through the suffering of Christ of the Cross.

Challenge: I challenge you to go off by yourself and quietly get on your knees. Tell your Sovereign King how much you love Him. Pray for the spiritual-mind of wisdom and the strength to follow His standards. Of course, the choice is yours... please, make the right one.

Sovereignty's purpose is to unify love.