The Character of God: God Is In Control
Psalm 139:15,16 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
I. God has a plan for your life.
A. God revealed to Jeremiah that God has good plans for his people.
Jeremiah 29:10,11 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
B. God has a plan of salvation that was being worked throughout all of Scripture, from the Fall of Man—to the Law of Moses—to the Life, Death, & Resurrection of Christ—even to the present age—and into the future Return of the Lord.
C. God had a plan for your personal salvation—he doesn’t just have a grand scheme, but he has an individual plan that embraces you. He ordained each of your days.
Ephesians 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Psalm 139:16a All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
D. Example: God had a plan for Joseph—which he revealed to Joseph.
Genesis 37:5-7 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."
II. God is in control of that plan. Even though it may not always seem so.
A. In Joseph’s situation… it didn’t seem like God was in control, but in the end he was.
Genesis 50:19,20 But Joseph said to them, "Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
B. In fact, not only for Joseph, but for us, we know that God makes everything to work for good—toward his good plan for our lives.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
C. Those times when it seems that God is not in control are not examples of God’s limitations, but our limitations.
Isaiah 55:8,9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
It is not his lack of control, but our lack of understanding.
D. So, when we cannot see God’s control—we must believe in faith that he is in control.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
III. God even has control over his “enemies.”
A. God demonstrated control over Satan in the case of Job.
JOB 1:12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
JOB 2:6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."
And let’s not forget—that in all this God had a plan for Job. To bless him double—and to reveal Himself personally to Job.
B. We often think of the Cosmic Struggle between good and evil—but the enemy has no chance. God will not only win a final victory—but manipulates the plans and actions of the enemy even for his own good.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Satan hates God, God’s plans, God’s people, and God’s plans for his people. And yet, he is an unwilling servant whom God uses to bring about his perfect plan. Only God can take the personification of evil and using his sovereign control—and use those evil schemes for His own good.
IV. Application:
Psalm 139:23,24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
A. “Search me and know my heart.” Once again, we must see this as an invitation. God is sovereign and in control of all situations, has determined to give each of us a free will. He has a perfect and good plan for each of our lives. And yet he doesn’t force us to accept that goodness. If we desire to live less than the wonderful life he has planned for us, that is possible. There is nothing outside of his control. No circumstance, no person, no situation can keep you from experiencing the life that God has for you—except you. We must submit to God’s perfect plan for our lives.
That means that even when we don’t understand his plan, we have faith in him, that he is working it all out for our good. It is trust that the ways he reveals in his Word are best for us, even though they go against everything our culture tells us will make us happy. In order to experience the goodness of God’s plan, we must submit to that plan.
B. “Know my anxious thoughts.” Anxiety is often based on the uncertainty of future events. However, when we consider that the all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful God is in control of every aspect of our lives and has a good plan for us, none of life’s circumstances are uncertain. There is no unknown to be anxious about. When we are anxious, it is because we don’t see the results yet, but by faith—we can be sure of what we hope for and convinced of what we do not see. And so by faith in God’s sovereign plan for us, we can find freedom from anxious thoughts.
C. “See if there is any offensive way in me.” God’s sovereign plan for us is indeed one that involves a freedom from sin. So, when we confess our sin and invite God’s presence to help keep us free from sin, we are submitting to his sovereignty. Only God, with complete control is able to judge. Judgment without control is useless. But God’s judgment is all that matters, because he has the control to bring about his judgments. But his plan for us is to find forgiveness now, so we don’t have to come under judgment. And only God has the control and the sovereign plan to bring us freedom from sin.
D. “Lead me in the way everlasting.” The way everlasting is another way of referring to this sovereign plan of God—that Gods plan is for each of us to go on the right way—the way that leads to everlasting life. The Psalmist ends by once again submitting to God’s plan and making a decision to follow God’s ways—knowing that because God’s plan and control are perfect, whatever way God would lead us, must be the right way. So even when God’s ways don’t seem to make sense, we must make a commitment that we will follow the ways of the Lord—and thus find our way into his perfect, sovereign plan.
