Excerpts taken from Chapter 4 in Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges.God is in control of all nations, shaping events and decisions to fulfill His purposes.
The Scriptures teach the following specific truths about the sovereignty of God over the nations:
1. Romans 13:1-4, ESV. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. God in His sovereignty has established government for the good of all people - believers as well as unbelievers.
2. Daniel 4:17, ESV. The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men. God determines who rules in those governments.
3. Isaiah 40:23-24, ESV. [It is God] who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. God determines the timing of each leader's rule.
4. Proverbs 16:33, ESV. The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. God controls the decisions that rulers make.
5. Proverbs 21:31, ESV. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. God rules in the victories and defeats between nations on the battlefield.
...We should take more seriously our responsibility to pray for the leaders of our government...God has instructed us to pray for our leaders. Our duty, then, is to pray..., but to trust God...We must, then, trust God by praying.
1 comment:
Thank you, I needed this reminder. Still fearful but determined to put my trust in my GOD. HE is in complete control and I must remember that. Still though, we must continue to pray for the unsaved. What an awesome burden that I don't think we take seriously enough.
Have a wonderful weekend, Robin,
Blessings & Prayers,
Julie
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