The Sovereign King of Heaven

GOD ON TRIAL

This semester, we’ve been studying through the doctrines we hold to here at Grace Bible Church. Today, we’re going to be looking at the sovereignty of God… the sovereignty of God. If you were hoping to hear all about predestination and election, you’re gonna have to wait until next week. But for now, we’re going to look at the sovereignty of God and divine providence… divine providence.

Not only is the Bible controversial to the world at large, but among Christians as well. Can you guys think of any controversial issues in the Bible where Christians disagree?

This semester, we’ve been studying through the doctrines we hold to here at Grace Bible Church. Today, we’re going to be looking at the sovereignty of God… the sovereignty of God. If you were hoping to hear all about predestination and election, you’re gonna have to wait until next week. But today, we’re going to look at the sovereignty of God and divine providence… divine providence.

By a show of hands, how many of you are guilty of ever putting God on trial?

I can think of one moment in particular when I put God on trial in my life. It was December 2015, my senior year of high school. Me and a buddy of mine were out on a Friday night, deep into the midst of our regular weekend routine: party, eat, sleep, rinse and repeat.

One night though, I got myself into a particularly dicey situation: I was driving under the influence, one of my front headlights was out, and I had enough illegal substances in my car to be in prison for years. Not to mention, I was only 17, so if I got pulled over at all, then I would have to call my parents no matter what happened. Obviously, not one of my brightest moments.

In that situation, I vividly remember holding my cross necklace (because I thought if I kept a cross on my neck, then God would be close to me) and saying this “prayer”:

“God, if you get me out of this situation, then I promise, I’m done with this lifestyle. I’ll change my ways and live how I’m supposed to.”

Well, God delivered. Somehow, I made it through that night without getting stopped once, even after driving past a total of 10 cop cars that night. He fulfilled on His end. As for me? I retired from the party scene, but the Bible on my nightstand continued to collect dust until the Lord saved me 9 months later.

You see, when we treat God like our therapist, or business consultant, or whatever, we put Him on trial. We essentially say, “God, if you’re really God, then prove it! Do what I asked for!” Then, when He doesn’t do exactly what we asked Him to do at the exact moment we asked for it, we get mad and think that this God guy our parents keep forcing down our throats isn’t so real after all.

The answer is obviously not. But too often, on a practical level, we all have to admit that we act like that’s the case. The sad thing though, is that there’s so much more to the sovereignty of God than we realize!

The reality is that that’s what every single person on the planet outisde

And now, we get to the fundamental problem at hand: God is sovereign. This is a fact. makes this clear, and He would not be God if He was not. But most importantly - how we respond to this reality is one of the most important decisions we will ever make. Why? Because the consequences are eternal.

My goal today is for you all to

If you’re in that category, or used to be in that category, then my hope is that this passage will be an encouragement and an exhortation for you.

When I was thinking through our topic today, I considered going through a few different passages to see God’s sovereignty on display throughout the history of the world,

Turn in your Bibles, if you will, to . Here, the Psalmist teaches us three obligations we have in response to the character of God: we must remember that He is sovereign, trust that He is sovereign, and rejoice because He is sovereign.

My goal for our time today is to show you that you can trust the Lord because He is the Sovereign King of Heaven.

CONTEXT

Let’s zoom out for a second. As a whole, the Psalms were written to teach God’s people how to worship Him through every circumstance, whether the highest of highs or the lowest of lows.

We’re not given much information about the backstory of this Psalm, which is important to the main idea of the Psalm. We don’t know the author, we don’t know the exact time period, but we do know that it was written for the people of Israel to sing as a congregation.

Now let’s zoom back in. The situation in seems pretty bleak. The enemies of Israel have the upper hand and they know it. They are boasting about their conquests and mocking the God of Israel. And because of this, the people of Israel are being tempted to doubt the sovereignty and character of God in favor of the traditions and idols of men.

In response to this less-than-ideal situation, was penned. Why? To encourage the people of Israel to trust in YHWH because of His sovereignty in providence and protection.

With that in mind, let’s dive into passage. Follow along as I read.

Psalm 115 NASB95

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth. 2 Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?” 3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; 6 They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; 7 They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. 8 Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them. 9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, The small together with the great. 14 May the Lord give you increase, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. 16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, But the earth He has given to the sons of men. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor do any who go down into silence; 18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!

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REMEMBER THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN ()

The first obligation we find in verses 1-8, and is this: We must remember that God is sovereign… Remember that God is sovereign.

Right off the bat in verse 1, we see that the Psalmist’s reverence for YHWH is massive. In the midst of a humiliating season for the nation of Israel, where does his mind go? He doesn’t pray for victory. He doesn’t pray for military deliverance. Instead, he prays for a different deliverance. He prays for YHWH to vindicate His name.

“But to Your name give glory...”

This “glory” that the Psalmist is speaking of is referring to honor, splendor, or a state of high honor. The Psalmist is imploring YHWH to ascribe high honor and splendor to His name, not to man.

Psalm 74:22 NASB95

22 Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long.

1 Kings 3:13 NASB95

13 “I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.

Psalm 79:9 NASB95

9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

Isaiah 48:11 NASB95

11 “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.

Ezekiel 36:32 NASB95

32 “I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

I’ll admit, when I was studying this, I got convicted to the core after reading verse 1. My prayer simply just doesn’t look like that when I’m in the middle of a trial. More often than not, if I’m honest, my prayers are selfish! Self-centered. “Lord, oh Lord, how long will the wicked prosper!?” And then the self-pity party continues in splendor.

But all that does is just reveal what’s really going on in my heart. Contrast that with the heart of the Psalmist here! He’s saying, yes, our nation is being maligned, yes, we are being humiliated, but all of that pales in comparison to the fact that the name of YHWH is being trampled on! All of us need to make it a priority to cultivate a zeal for the reputation of the Lord that rivals that of the Psalmist here.

But what causes the Psalmist to have that zeal? Two things: YHWH’s lovingkindness and YHWH’s truth.

You might be wondering, how exactly do I know Israel is being mocked, anyway? Look at verse 2.

“Why should the nations say, ‘Where, now, is their God?”

The pagan nations around Israel are licking their chops here. Israel is down, and now’s as great a time as ever to kick them.

However, that’s not even the worst aspect of the disrespect they are receiving. These Gentile nations are mocking the God of Israel Himself!

You see, all throughout the Old Testament, YHWH is lauded, praised and worshipped for the deliverance He gave to Israel through the exodus from Egypt, the conquests of Joshua, the establishment of the nation under David, and countless other occasions. And for good reason! Constantly, Israel was reminded, as well as the surrounding nations, that Israel was worthy because YHWH made them worthy.

But here, whatever is going on in Israel at this time, the surrounding nations are more bold and brash than ever. “Where is your God, Israel? Looks like a no-show after all.”

“Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.”

Understand “lovingkindness” here as God’s grace! The unfailing, ongoing, unprompted act of lovingkindness by YHWH that saves and sanctifies. The Psalmist is imploring YHWH to ascribe high honor and splendor to His name because of His grace.

Exodus 15:13 NASB95

13 “In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.

Psalm 5:7 NASB95

7 But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house, At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.

Psalm 13:5–6 NASB95

5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

The second thing is the truth of God; “truth” meaning the idea of firmness, stability, and continuance. All in all, the Psalmist is imploring YHWH to ascribe high honor and splendor to His name because of His grace and His inherent truthfulness.

Psalm 111:7 NASB95

7 The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure.

Proverbs 3:3 NASB95

3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Psalm 108:4 NASB95

4 For Your lovingkindness is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the skies.

Too often, I think, we forget about just how big of a deal it is that God is true! This means that we can come to Him for answers to any and all questions we will ever have! Since we can’t just FaceTime Him for a Q&A session, how do we come to Him? By coming to His Word. We can have confidence not only that God has spoken through His Word, but that His Word is faithful and true.

Psalm 111:7 NASB95

7 The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure.

Moving on. Look at verse 2. Here we see the unabashed pride of the nations that surround Israel.

Psalm 115:2 NASB95

2 Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?”

Israel is down, and now’s the time to kick them. The unbelieving nations are laughing because at the moment, it doesn’t seem like the God of Israel is big and bad after all!

But then comes verse 3.

Psalm 115:3 NASB95

3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

What does “whatever” mean in Hebrew? Whatever! In all seriousness though, this is one of the most important verses in all of Scripture. Why? Because in it, we find the answer to mostly every question about why things happen the way they do in our lives.

Rather than “He does whatever He pleases”, a better translation would be “He does all that He takes pleasure in.” YHWH is simply the Sovereign King of Heaven, and He takes immense pleasure in everything that He does.

Psalm 135:6 NASB95

6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

Isaiah 46:10 NASB95

10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

Isaiah 53:10 NASB95

10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

Jeremiah 9:24 NASB95

24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

The Psalmist is saying, “Israel! Wake up! Let the nations say whatever they want. Our God is in heaven, and He reigns!

But how do we avoid concluding that what God takes pleasure in is my demise? By remembering that He delights in the righteous! If you are crushed by your sinfulness and have cried out to Him for salvation and received His Spirit, then the Sovereign King of Heaven delights in You and your holiness.

Romans 8:28 NASB95

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Let this be an encouragement for our hearts. When it seems like everything around us is falling apart, whether our health is failing, whether our grades are failing, whether our relationships are failing - know this: the Lord acts and only acts for His pleasure, and if we are in Him, then we can have complete confidence that it is for our spiritual good too.

The Psalmist is exclaiming from the text, “This is Your God, Israel!” But in comparison, look at the gods of the surrounding nations.

Psalm 115:4–8 NASB95

4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see; 6 They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell; 7 They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat. 8 Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.

Psa. 115:

Their gods are hardly gods. They created them with their own hands! They’re lifeless. They’re powerless. They’re basically toys! They belong on the shelf with all the other action figures we bought as kids… maybe still for some of you, but that’s a conversation for another time. You know who you are!

Notice verse 8 though. This is the condemnation. The scariest, most frightening reality about this, is that not only will the makers of the idols become just like their products, but everyone who trusts in them will as well.

Now, in our context, our enemies aren’t promoting animal statues, but what idols do they mock our God with? What about science and evolution? What about philosophy and psychology? If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes they seem a lot more tangible than the God of the Bible.

But ask yourselves this question. For all the fanatic advocates of evolution, how many of them have evolved out of their problems? For the promoters of psychology, how many of their medications have solved their depression and anxiety? Truly, God’s Word is the only proponent of real change because it was breathed out by a real God.

2 Timothy 3:16 NASB95

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

TRUST THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN ()

TRUST THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN ()

So, we’ve seen that the first obligation we have is to remember that God is sovereign. The second obligation is to trust that that God is sovereign… Trust that God is sovereign. Look at verses 9-15 with me.

Psalm 115:9–15 NASB95

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, The small together with the great. 14 May the Lord give you increase, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.

Changing directions, the Psalmist is now addressing his audience directly. This Psalm is strictly for the people of Israel and all those who fear YHWH.

What does this address look like? An exhortation to trust! House of Israel, trust YHWH! House of Aaron, trust YHWH! God-fearers, trust YHWH!

This trust is one of a strong confidence in or reliance upon someone or something. The Psalmist is exhorting all Israel and all God-fearers to put all of their confidence in YHWH.

Psalm 62:8 NASB95

8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Psalm 9:10 NASB95

10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm 125:1 NASB95

1 Those who trust in the Lord Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.

Psa.

Psalm 146:5–6 NASB95

5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever;

It’s interesting to note that the Psalmist addresses the house of Aaron distinctly from the house of Israel, even though the house of Aaron is from the tribe of Levi, which belongs to the house of Israel. This is because the Psalmist is stressing this truth: that the shepherds of Israel must trust in the same promises that the sheep of Israel are in order to lead well.

And I think it’s crucial we don’t just leap over that. The house of Aaron served as the priests of Israel! They taught the Law to the people and preached the First Testament Scriptures to the nation every week on the Sabbath. And even they were prone to discouragement. The reality is that different members of the congregation may have different gifting, so their roles are distinct from one another. However, at the end of the day, whether shepherd or shoe-shiner, musician or janitor, we are all on the same playing field before the LORD! So be sure to encourage your shepherds in the Word, and let them encourage you as well by teaching you from the Word. says that it’s the way to ensure salvation for yourself and for them.

Back to the text. On what authority does the Psalmist make the claim that Israel must trust YHWH? Because He is “their help and their shield.”

The first aspect of this exhortation to trust is rooted in the reality that YHWH is a Helper. This language should be familiar to us! Who else is described as a Helper in the New Testament? Yep, the Holy Spirit. Here, the Psalmist is encouraging Israel to have confidence in YHWH because He is their Helper.

Psalm 33:20 NASB95

20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.

Psalm 70:5 NASB95

5 But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.

Proverbs 30:5 NASB95

5 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Hosea 13:9 NASB95

9 It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help.

However, not only is YHWH a Helper to Israel, but a shield. Something used for defense when under attack. Overall, the Psalmist is encouraging Israel to have confidence in YHWH because He is their Helper and their Defender.

Genesis 15:1 NASB95

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.”

Proverbs 30:5 NASB95

5 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Is that our conviction though? Do we really see the Lord as our help and our shield? Or do we look for help and protection from the world? Take heed of God’s warning to Israel in .

Hosea 13:9 NASB95

9 It is your destruction, O Israel, That you are against Me, against your help.

But when times are tough and we don’t quite understand or see what the Lord is doing amidst it all, what do we do? Look to verse 12. “YHWH has been mindful of us”, or better translated this way, “YHWH has remembered us.”

This verse isn’t saying God forgot all about His people and just happened to remember them when they started crying out in distress. Hardly! Rather, its a calling to mind of what he already knows.

Isaiah 49:14–16 NASB95

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 16 “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.

God does not forget about His people! His promises to national Israel are still just as valid as when He made them. In the perfect time, all will be fulfilled according to God’s sovereign plan, which we will never fully understand why it’s shaking out the way that it is until we get to the other side of glory. So what should we do in response to this? Trust Him! Not only does He remember His people, but He will bless them. He will bestow divine favor upon them.

Genesis 12:2–3 NASB95

2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Psalm 67:7 NASB95

7 God blesses us, That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.

And who will YHWH bless exactly? Look at the passage again.

Psalm 115:12–13 NASB95

12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, The small together with the great.

Psalm 115:12–15 NASB95

12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, The small together with the great. 14 May the Lord give you increase, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.

Do you see? God’s sovereignty isn’t restricting, but rewarding! If you fear Him, trusting in the righteousness of Christ alone, then you will be blessed in the highest order. Whether you are small in faith or great in faith, blessings will come regardless. And these blessings may or may not have material value, but they assuredly are of the utmost value spiritually. All in all - Trust Him! If you fear Him, he will be your help and shield too.

REJOICE BECAUSE GOD IS SOVEREIGN ()

So, we’ve seen that we must remember that God is sovereign and that we must trust that God is sovereign. The third obligation we have is to rejoice because God is sovereign… rejoice because God is sovereign. Look at verses 16-18.

Psalm 115:16–18 NASB95

16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, But the earth He has given to the sons of men. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor do any who go down into silence; 18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!

With this final arc here, the Psalmist shifts gears to head right into the climax of the Psalm. The reality of eternity is apparent throughout these three verses.

Look again at verse 16. YHWH dwells in unapproachable light. No one and nothing dwells in heaven that is not holy. Simply put, God is in heaven and we are not. His glory far surpasses anything we can even fathom.

Isaiah 55:8–9 NASB95

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

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Meanwhile, we as humans are here on earth! Surprising? Hardly! The reality of our existence is a gift from YHWH Himself. He has given the earth to us, the sons of men!

Yet, what have we as humans done with that gift except throw dirt (no pun intended) on the name of God? YHWH is well aware of that. Look at verses 17-18.

Psalm 115:17–18 NASB95

17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor do any who go down into silence; 18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 115:17 NASB95

17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor do any who go down into silence;

With this, the Psalmist is drawing out the final implication of the lofty truths he’s been expounding on. There’s an end result to all of this that must be considered. What happens when we die? And what does all that he’s said thus far have to even do with that question?

A better way to translate the first part of verse 17 is “Those who die do not praise YHWH.” In a literal sense, dead people don’t do much of anything! They’re just… dead. But in a spiritual sense, those same dead people are not praising YHWH while in Sheol, in eternal death.

It truly is bleak. But look at the contrast! Verse 18:

Psalm 115:18 NASB95

18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forever. Praise the Lord!

This is so rich! Do not miss what is going on here. The Psalmist is saying, “Look Israel. The dead do not praise YHWH, nor does anyone headed into eternal death. But its not so for us. The righteous, those who believe in the coming Redeemer by faith, we will not die. We will bless YHWH forever! Hallelujah!”

This goes for all of God’s people, not just Israel. We already looked at that back in verse 13. Eternal life is to be found in the Lord, and what does it consist of? Blessing YHWH today, tomorrow, and forever.

The Psalmist then closes with the only words that are fitting for the occasion: Praise YHWH!

The Psalmist praised the Lord not just for His sovereignty, but because of His sovereignty. Will we do the same?

WHAT NOW?

Overall, we’ve seen three obligations we have in response to the character of God. In verses 1-8, we learned that we must remember that He is sovereign. Then, in verses 9-15, we saw that we must trust that He is sovereign. Finally, we learned from verses 16-18 that we must rejoice because He is sovereign.

But like I said in the beginning: I want you to be encouraged and exhorted today. So I’ll leave you with one of each. So first, here’s a word of encouragement.

1) THE LORD IS A LOVING KING.

… The Lord is a loving King. After a study like this, you may feel like an outsider looking in. You may be thinking, “This sounds great, and I want this in my life! But I don’t even know if I’m saved yet!”

Be encouraged by this… The same God who is sovereign over all things is the same God who has the power to redeem. Through Jesus Christ, we have a pathway to access all of the riches that come from trusting God and knowing that He is your help and your shield. All you have to do is repent and believe. That’s it! Run towards the Light and you will find eternal life. And if you have already found eternal life, then amazing! I’m rejoicing right there with ya. Let us continue to trust the power of God, who continues to be our help and our shield in times of need.

That’s the encouragement. Now, the exhortation.

2) THE LORD IS A RIGHTEOUS KING.

… The Lord is a righteous King. Here in , we’ve seen how comforting God’s sovereignty is for believers, but we cannot ignore for a moment how condemning God’s sovereignty is for unbelievers.

You may think you can skate on by in the youth group, and bide your time until you’re free from the tyranny of church leadership and parents, so that you can go off and see what the world is all about. True. You can. But let me just give one word of caution.

If you’re an unbeliever, then God’s wrath abides on you. Not a little, not some, but all of it. In it’s fullness. Abides… on you. In order for the Lord to be a loving King, then He must also be a righteous King. Otherwise, we would have no concept of His love and His grace.

So if you’re not sure where you are spiritually, then find out. I know it’s hard to fathom the concept of eternity, but it’s real, and you’re going to spend it somewhere. All of humankind is on the highway to hell, and completely by choice. We love our sin and would like nothing more to do it until we can’t do it anymore! But in divine love, and divine grace, and divine compassion, He reaches out and plucks those whom He has called before the dawn of time to be on a different highway leading to eternal life. If you don’t know Him, pray that He would do the same for you.

And if you have been rescued by Him, then let’s live like it! Too often, as believers, we are so prone to lose confidence in the Lord at the slightest opposition that we face. But in the face of all of our fear, who will we fear more? God or man? All in all, trust Him! He is the Sovereign King of Heaven, after all. Pray with me.