In such uncertain times, it is easy to feel as if life is out of control, for it feels that the world itself is spiraling. Anxiety creeps up as we grab at straws to anything we can cling to, but so often find those things let us down.
"God is in control" is often a phrase that we use when someone is going through something really difficult, confusing or life-changing. It is a comforting notion when you really, truly believe it. But it's not always easy to get your heart to that place of surrender and trust.
So in a world that feels turned upside down can we rest that God is really in control?
How can we know the truth of control and God?
How Do We Know God Is in Control?
How can we rest in the truth that the Creator of the universe is still in control? We can know this because it is clear in the Word and truth of God that He is in control, and He never lies.
When questioned about worries and things that man cannot rule over Jesus offered assurance in Luke 12:22-26, “And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
“Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”
What we can rest in knowing through this is that God remains in control despite the storms, change in seasons, or life’s question marks.
If God ensures the birds are accounted for, fed, and given refuge then as a good Father we can know He certainly has us. It is indicative how He is in control as well in understanding the earth continues on without our permission or command.
The sun rises and sets, the grass sneaks up through the ground, and summer sighs into fall without the dictation of man. God is in control of the earth, all of the earth.
We can trust that the validity of the Words of Christ endures today.
But Does God Control Everything We Do?
God is in control; however, He is not controlling.
When God created man, He made humankind with free will, meaning humans are not puppets being controlled by the Creator.
While God is not in control of man, He can bring His children through journeys in which they will be tested, molded, and experience growth into change. It is not through manipulation or oppression, but it is through the love of a Father to see His children transform.
Consider the story of Jonah in application. God asked Jonah to travel to Nineveh to warn them to change their sinful ways or face consequences. Jonah ran in fear and refused at first, yet God was not controlling puppeteering him to go straight to Nineveh to fulfill His wishes.
Instead, God allowed Jonah to have free will to run, but He loved Him enough to help Jonah grow through the process.
As he ran he found himself literally in the belly of a beast, and there he had time to contemplate and grow into the realization that the right path to take would be following the call of God.
We may not always understand the ways of God or the process it takes, but it is imperative that we trust Him in the journey.
Does God Control the Future?
Much of the desire man has to have control is so that he may feel he has a level of control of his future, but in reality, God is the Only One Who has control of the future.
Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is unchanging and He is already in the future.
Because we know He was faithful in the past through the fulfillment of promises we can abide in the fact that He will be reliable in the days to come. Revelation shares the assurance that the end is already written, and good wins out over evil.
In the end of days, the enemy will be defeated at last and the sovereignty of God will reign on forever. Because of this we can rest in the meantime that God is still on the Throne.
Consider the beautiful lyrics Casting Crowns remarked of God in their song, Already There:
“When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there”
The trustworthy God of the Bible still is a promise keeper today, and that will not change in the future to come.
A Prayer for Relinquishing Worry
Father God,
We thank You that You are in control. Father, our world often feels so upside down, and it feels we are drowning in the waves. Help us to recall that You walk upon the waves and the sea and our lives are in Your hands. Father, we choose today to take you at Your Holy Word and believe You are a constant in a world that changes so quickly. In Your hands we release our worries, our concerns, our questions, and the things we do not know. You are not controlling, but oh Lord are You in control.
Thank You, Lord,
In Jesus name,
Amen
Scriptures about God Being in Control
Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
Daniel 2:21 “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;”
Revelation 1:8 “'I am the Alpha and the Omega,'” says the Lord God, “'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Jeremiah 32:27 “'Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?'”
Job 42:2 “'I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.'”
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 46:10 “'Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!'”
Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/demaerre
Cally Logan is an author and US History teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Her works have been featured on "The 700 Club Interactive," “Jesus Calling Blog,” and “Coffee and Bible Time,” among several notable outlets. She served as a mentor for young women for several years and enjoys challenging women to develop deeper relationships with God and to live fearlessly and authentically. She received her B.A. Degree from Regent University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in nature, having genuine chats over coffee, and woodworking. Her new book, The Wallflower That Bloomed, is available everywhere now. Connect with Cally: @CallyLogan Instagram CallyLogan.com