The Attributes Of God – God Is Sovereign

What are God’s attributes? When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, Who is God, What is God like, and What kind of God is He? An attribute of God is something true about Him. Each Friday we will look at the attributes of God. This week, God is sovereign. 

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.” – 1 Chronicles 29:11-12. 

God is sovereign. God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. There is no higher authority. He is all-powerful. He is present everywhere, so no one can hide from Him or escape His scrutiny. 

There is absolutely nothing that happens in the universe that is outside of God’s influence and authority. As King of kings and Lord of lords, God has no limitations. That’s what being sovereign means. It means being the ultimate source of all power, authority, and everything that exists. Only God can make those claims; therefore, it’s God’s sovereignty that makes Him alone, worthy of worship. Consider just a few of the claims the Bible makes about God:

God is above all things and before all things. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. He is immortal, and He is present everywhere so that everyone can know Him. (Revelation 21:6)  God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens (Romans 11:33).

Jerry Bridges said, “Our duty is found in the revealed will of God in the Scriptures. Our trust must be in the sovereign will of God as He works in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives for our good and His glory.” Without God’s sustaining providence, none of us could live another day. “The life of every living thing is in His hand, and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10)  God is in control, and He is sovereignly directing your life. Proverbs 19:21 states, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail”  

God is more powerful, more loving, and more in control than we’ve ever imagined. The more we begin to see God as He longs for us to see Him, the more our lives and our faith will be transformed. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Put in your own words what it means that God is sovereign. What are some of the important life-related issues on which God’s sovereignty touches?
2. Can you think of a situation you can share where God’s sovereignty touched your life and you only realized it in retrospect?
3. How might a fresh look at God’s sovereignty affect your life this week?