He Calls Us

In love [God] predestined us for adoption to so ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will — to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One he loves. In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. -Ephesians 1:4-8

The highest view, in my thinking, of God’s sovereignty is not that God causes everything; it’s that he causes everything to work together for His good purposes (see Romans 8:28). That’s a whole other level of sovereignty and power — He takes whatever happens and, in His all-encompassing wisdom and power, uses it to accomplish His work and His purpose.
Let me try to illustrate this. Suppose that I, as a wise and loving father, knew that my son was going to be an all-star football player when he grew up. If I had that knowledge, wouldn’t it significantly change most everything about the way I raised him? I wouldn’t bother spending much money on piano lessons or art classes. Those glazed doughnuts? Not in my house. Video games would be replaced with exercise regimens. Monday night football would take precedent over “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” I would use my newfound knowledge to help guide my son to his certain destiny.

In much the same way, God knows our ultimate destiny. He already sees our truest identity. And so, His purpose is to draw us closer to Jesus. He uses everything that happens — even the bad stuff — to do this. Whether it’s our own fault or someone else’s, God has predestined everything to work together to pull us along toward Him, and to shape us in the process. He doesn’t waste anything. We can follow Him with confident faith, trusting that He is already working things out for our good and His glory.

Following Today
Think back over significant events of your life. Can you trace God’s hand bringing you to where you are today? What circumstance in your life right now is beyond your ability to understand? Write it down and profess your trust in our good, sovereign God. (To consider a little further: What would change today if you knew your ultimate destiny? Here’s a little secret: YOU DO!)