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Sovereign over All

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.  Philippians 2:13

 

Is everything that happens to us already determined by God? Or do we have the ability to carry out plans on our own, regardless of what God hoped would happen? You have probably wondered about this question yourself.

Theologians have disagreed for centuries: some stress God's absolute control over everything, and others emphasize our freedom to act on our own. The reason they haven't agreed is because the Bible teaches both God's sovereignty and our human responsibility. To us this sounds like a contradiction--one I don't believe we'll fully understand until we get to Heaven. Until that day, we need to hold firmly to both truths: God is in control of everything, but we also are responsible for our actions.

Why is this important? In the verse above Paul stressed that God is working behind the scenes to accomplish His purposes. What if He weren't? What if it were all left up to us? What hope would we have then? But God is at work--even if we can't fully understand it now. Be comforted by this truth today.

From, HOPE for Each Day: Morning & Evening Devotions, by Billy Graham.