Bible Verses Proving God is in Control
God is in control of all things; here are several Bible verses to encourage you.
Watching the nightly news is enough to skyrocket your heart rate and blood pressure as headlines of civil unrest, government upheaval, wars, and rumors of wars are announced one after another.
Also not uncommon in today’s broadcasts are natural disasters on the rise, an increase in violent crimes, newfound diseases, and pestilences.
Financial instability. Food chain issues. Even UFOs are being discussed with increased frequency!
Our world appears to be in chaos and spinning out of control.
Ever tempted to wonder, “Where is God in all of this?”
In addition to the world’s landscape, there are times when our personal lives could be described as chaotic.
The busyness of life, daily stressors and demands, and never-ending to-do lists can be overwhelming.
Then there are unexpected life-altering events and heartbreaks that uproot our daily rhythm and leave us shaken to our core.
Ever lift your eyes up to heaven and ask, “God where are you?”
I have a feeling I’m not alone in my admission of having been there and done that.
Whether we’re referring to the world’s scene or our personal life, the answer is the same, and it’s found on the pages of Scripture.
By the way, Psalm 34:18 tells us exactly where God is in the midst of our suffering and adversity, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Take a moment to absorb that truth.
What does it mean that God is sovereign?
The phrase, “God is sovereign” means that God is in control at all times, in all places, and over all situations. His supremacy and authority are unrestricted over all that is seen and unseen. All of Creation is under His rule.
We live in a world where change is certain and constant. It’s comforting to know that God’s sovereignty does not waver with a change of circumstance, season, or with the progression of time. The unfolding of history is under His sovereign hand.
He’s sovereign when times are good, and He’s sovereign during difficult times when trials come upon us.
God is the Creator and Sustainer of all seen and unseen.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
“For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.” (Col. 1:16, NIV)
Our God carved the mountaintops and set boundaries for the seas. He strung the stars in the sky and set order for day and night.
Do you know when your life was on your Creator’s mind? According to Ephesians 1:4, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.”
Your life was planned by our Creator before the foundation of the Earth was set. Your birth and life were not by accident, regardless of what any person may have told you. This might be a new, life-transforming truth for you!
Our Lord knit you in your mother’s womb, and you were not a fluke or happened by chance. (Psalm 139:13-16) You’re also living in the exact time and place of His choosing.
The first breath of air to fill our lungs and the last one we will exhale is under God’s sovereign rule. Our days were ordained before one of them even came to be. (See Ps. 139)
God rules over the whole Earth.
“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19)
There will never be a leader or militia that will rise to power apart from the Lord’s sovereign rule.
There will never be any force that will alter the plans or purposes of the Lord.
He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and His kingdom has no end. He will never be taken by surprise. He will never be overthrown.
God is omnipotent = unlimited in power and authority.
“The Lord reigns, He is clothed in majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved” (Psalm 93:1).
“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and Earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jer. 32:17).
No thing, person, or power is stronger than our God.
He will never be vulnerable, at a disadvantage, or backed into a corner. He does not have any weakness, and He will never be a victim.
He will never be shaken or overcome by His enemy. In fact, Scripture tells us He laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming. (Ps. 37:13)
God is omnipresent = present everywhere at all times.
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8)
God’s presence is everywhere.
No one can hide from or escape Him.
His eye is on the sparrow, and He watches over you and me. (Luke 12:6)
Every detail. Even the things you think are done in secret are seen by Him.
The preschool our children attended had a one-way window in their classroom with an attached viewing room for parents to watch their children. I’ll never forget the first time I went to watch our oldest son during playtime. I was having so much fun watching him.
Fun quickly turned into concern when I saw another child hit Matt, unprovoked. I watched as Matt made a beeline to his teacher who was talking to another child at the time. Matt called her name, and she put up her finger to acknowledge him and signify, wait your turn.
I could see the concern mounting on Matt’s face as he paced back and forth next to his teacher.
“I saw him, son”, I said to myself. And I wished I could have walked over to comfort him and intervene.
Our God sees everything, and He doesn’t have a barrier! We can call on His name at any time, confident He hears us. We never need to worry that He’s too busy with someone else, distracted, or sleeping!
God is omniscient = complete in knowledge and understanding.
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit” (Ps. 147:5).
God alone knows everything.
There’s nothing He doesn’t know – including our thoughts and motives.
We may be able to fool other people regarding our thoughts or motives, and we may even be able to fool ourselves sometimes, too! There’s no fooling our God, however. Not in the slightest.
God’s plan and purpose always prevail.
“Many are plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Prov. 19:21).
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Prov. 16:9).
We make our plans, (as we should – it’s wise and prudent to plan ahead while making wise decisions) but we need to hold onto them with an open hand. The Lord may have different plans for us, and His will always trump ours.
Our flesh nature resists this truth.
We want to be the one in the driver’s seat of our life.
Society tells us to not let anything interfere with our plans and goals. Our culture embraces the mindset to go after your desires full steam ahead without letting anything or anyone stand in your way.
Pride fuels the assertions:
- I’m in charge of my life.
- I know what’s best for me.
- I want what I want, the way I like it, and when I want it.
- I have the most effective plan to get myself from point A to B
- I know how and where I want to live.
- I won’t let anything stand in my way or stop me from accomplishing my goals!
There are entire marketing campaigns designed around the above points, and they’re very effective because the cravings of the flesh are strong and the pull to satisfy them is intense.
Every person will be held accountable to God.
“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” (Romans 14:12).
“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” (Mt. 12:36).
Not some people… everyone.
Don’t think for one minute that evil runs rampant with no repercussions. God sees, knows, and it is His to avenge.
He will make good on His Word. He always does.
God is in control of all time.
“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:26).
“Look, He is coming in the clouds and every eye will see Him – even those who pierced Him” (Rev. 1:7).
We already established that God Created all things and was in the beginning, but all of eternity is in His hands!
Jesus is coming again. We don’t know the exact day or hour, but His physical return to Earth is certain and nothing can or will alter this marvelous promised event!
God’s Sovereignty does not merely describe Him, it personifies Him!
“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you” (2 Sam. 7:22).
God is sovereign. It’s an attribute ascribed to Him; therefore, there is not one moment of time when He’s not sovereign. He will never act inconsistent with His sovereign nature.
He cannot be separated from His sovereign nature because this attribute embodies Him.
I’m a huge fan of Pastor Charles Swindoll. I listen to his Insight for Living podcast every morning, and once in a while, he makes a poignant statement that resonates deeply and sticks with me.
A few months ago he was giving a message regarding the sovereignty of God when he stated:
“God is not almost sovereign.”
That hit me hard.
He’s not in control of some things and not others. His sovereignty never wavers or diminishes, and it’s never incomplete.
R.C Sproul further develops this concept in one of his teaching series on the sovereignty of God where he states, “I like to explain it this way: if there is one molecule in the universe running loose, outside of the control of God’s sovereignty, what I like to call ‘one maverick molecule’, then the practical implication for us as Christians is that we have no guarantee whatsoever that any future promise God has made to His people will come to pass.”
If God is not in control over all things, even one maverick molecule, that would discredit His sovereignty, and therefore He would not be God.
There’s not one cell, atom, or grain of sand exempt from God’s sovereign rule.
Our response to God’s sovereignty.
“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds” (Psalm 73:28)
What an awesome proclamation from Psalm 73! I find tremendous peace in knowing my refuge rests in a sovereign, Almighty God who cannot act inconsistent with who He is.
In addition to His sovereignty, He’s also a magnificent blend of so many other amazing attributes.
He is merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, kind, and gracious. He’s our Savior and Redeemer. He is holy, and there is none like Him.
God has revealed who He is in His Word, and we are at no liberty to pick and choose which attributes we’re comfortable with, the ones we see as desirable, or that we like. Doing so would be fashioning our own god – idolatry.
I don’t want to resist His sovereign reign, I want to take comfort in it.
He’s worthy of our trust.
You and I can find assurance and peace when our life is anchored in our sovereign God who has a plan and purpose for His people to prosper them, not hurt them. (See Jer. 29:11)
When our circumstances don’t seem to be in line with the picture of prosperity we would have chosen for ourselves, we must choose to surrender our will and bow before our God, choosing to trust Him in our hardships.
When we know and believe that God is in control there’s a deep abiding peace that permeates our lives as we walk in humble confidence knowing that God is in control of all things.