Charles Stanley - Looking Deeper Into The Will of God

Who rules your world? God’s sovereignty over the affairs of earth is a reassuring reality. Yet it is so easy to feel baffled by the perplexities of daily living when we assume the responsibility for every decision and concern. Our heavenly Father never meant for us to bear these burdens on our own.

In this message, Dr. Stanley guides us through verses establishing God’s authority. The same influence over global matters also reaches down into our everyday lives, expressing itself through God’s predestined, moral, and desired will. Even when we struggle to work out His ways, we can learn to rest in the fact that He is God. Understanding His power and plan leads us to greater obedience and the trust due our faithful Father.

One of the most reassuring realities in life is God’s sovereignty over the affairs of earth. Although we may not understand how He brings about His will in the world, we can rest in the fact that He is God, and nothing is impossible for Him. His authority covers not only global affairs but also reaches down into our everyday lives. He has a plan and will for each of us, and our responsibility is to trust and obey Him.

Believers who trust and obey the Lord attempt to walk in His will and do what pleases Him, rather than seeking to fit into the world by pursuing their own desires. Salvation not only changes a person’s eternal destiny, but it transforms how he or she lives now. Instead of living for oneself, believers live for God.

Psalm 103:19 says, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” This means God has the full right and power to do whatever He chooses without any interference from outside forces. In other words, He controls everything. Most people in the world don’t believe this. They think God controls some things, but they are in charge of their own lives. From an earthly perspective this may appear to be true, but ultimately God has absolute control of everything—including human beings.

Although we may look at the world and the behavior of people today and conclude that God doesn’t seem to be in charge, He is. Even in our own lives, we may question whether He cares because He doesn’t intervene as we desire. However, God’s sovereignty cannot be evaluated by circumstances or our understanding of His actions but by the truth of His Word.

The prophet Jeremiah came to this conclusion about God: “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17).

If we truly believed that God’s arm reaches everywhere and nothing is too difficult for Him, it would change how we live. Our doubts would be silenced, and our confidence in the promises of His Word would increase. Instead of becoming discouraged over the state of the world or our own circumstances, we would rest in the truth of Scripture and put our hope in God.