From Paul Tripp Ministries, Inc.
Identity in the Sovereign
Last week we looked at Psalm 139, the famous Scripture where David writes, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (v. 13-14, ESV)
These two verses remind us of the importance of finding our identity in God as Creator. The Lord never makes a mistake, which means we can rest in our physical body and make the most of the gifts God gave specifically to us.
But Psalm 139 continues. Verse 16: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Wow! It’s a view of human identity that should take your breath away. Not only is it crucial to find your identity in God as Creator, but you must also find your identity in God as Sovereign.
You and I must rest in the fact that every situation, circumstance, location, experience, and relationship of your life has been under the wise and careful administration of the Lord Almighty.
He has known from the beginning exactly what he was going to do and exactly why he did it. From his vantage point, there are no slip-ups, no oversights, no accidents, no misunderstandings, and no mistakes. Nothing has fallen through the cracks.
Why is this important? Well, let’s be honest: our lives haven’t unfolded as we had planned. Or, if you’re young, you may know exactly what you want to accomplish and the things you’re determined to avoid, but it won’t work out according to your script.
That’s a good thing, although it might not appear to be on the surface. Here’s the simple truth: you and I don’t write our own stories; they’ve been written for us. Our job is to live inside of the plot that God has determined in the way we’ve been called to live.
But just like with our bodies and our gifts, there are times when we secretly wish we could grab a hold of the joystick and direct the trajectory of our lives. Guess what? God, in love, won’t let go. As a result, we experience crushing disappointments, not because God is cruel, but because we let ourselves down with delusions of personal sovereignty.
Let me remind and encourage you again: God is sovereign; you and I aren’t. This isn’t just theology we should proclaim on Sunday; it must be the foundation of our identity every day of the week. God is in absolute control, and he’s infinitely good.
God bless
Paul David Tripp
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
What in your life has not gone according to your plan?
Have you harbored, or are you harboring, dissatisfaction with God over the trajectory of your life?
What evidence did you give this week that reveals God is a better Sovereign than you?