Sovereignty's Both, And By Cortney Donelson

Photo Cred: Unknown

Daniel 4:3 states, “His miracles are staggering, his wonders are surprising. His kingdom lasts and lasts, his sovereign rule goes on forever.” We worship a sovereign God. He is the One who is in complete control. While God may not directly cause everything that happens, everything passes through His fingers and nothing is a surprise to Him. He is continuously working to make our decisions, whether righteous or not, ultimately align with His grand plan and will. Take Satan for example. This fallen angel chose rebellion against God, but in the end, victory belongs to the Lord. God’s perfect clock and calendar are the only timetables that matter. 

The most amazing aspect of God's sovereignty is that despite our complete unworthiness, He chooses to love and save us none-the-less. And alternately, He gives each of us the freedom to accept or reject His love. His sovereignty is full of grace. I feel secure in knowing that God is sovereign. I find comfort in the fact that He has no limitations. After all, I have so many! We also live in a world that lacks reliability. I need a just, consistent, and powerful God to rule over it all. Without sovereignty, God ceases to be God. 

When my husband and I were struggling with infertility, I knew God was in control. I believed He had a plan. I didn’t like the situation, and I argued and wrestled with God about how His plan was not matching my own, but I always trusted that He had power over the outcome. I didn’t believe fate or bad luck had anything to do with our inability to conceive. Someone was in control; it just wasn’t me. Later, I’d learn that was a really good thing.

As months turned to years, I continued to pray because I knew there was a God who not only heard me, but One who could do something about it. I used to secretly ask myself, if God is in complete control, why pray? If God already has a plan, why bother? Then, it hit me. Prayer matters precisely because God is sovereign. We wouldn’t want to pray to a God who does not have ultimate and overarching power, influence, and control. There would be no reason to pray to a God like that. No, we pray because He does rule over all. 

God’s sovereignty should bring us peace. But, His sovereignty is just half of the picture. If we worshiped and served a powerful God who was in complete control, but who wasn’t good, where would that leave us? 

God’s sovereignty cannot – should not – be discussed without including His goodness. In my infertility struggle, it took me way too long to trust in BOTH God’s power AND in His character. Without a wildly loving God who only wants what is best for us, His power wouldn’t just be less important; it would be scary! Those of us who try so desperately to scheme and get our own way may still believe in God’s sovereignty, but we fight Him because we lack faith in His inherent goodness. God is always good. He is always working His plan, but that plan is shaped and molded so that the ending is just and perfect, not only for Him but also for those of us who love Him. 

Perhaps, those of us who worry don’t lack trust in God’s control over situations. What we lack is trust in His goodness. We think that God’s plan is less desirable than our own. We attach our own limited and flawed judgments to what is good and what is bad. We do this without considering God’s great plan and His desire that all things work for the good of those who love Him. We don’t consider eternity. 

When we could not conceive a child after four years, I labeled that outcome as “bad.” In full disclosure, I thought God’s plan stunk. I let Him know it too. I lacked a deep trust in who He said He was, not in what He said He could do. I fully believed He could create a pregnancy. I did not believe His unwillingness to do so was good. 

I was wrong. After two adoption journeys around the world, I am the first to get on my knees, look up, and say, “I’m sorry I didn’t trust in Your goodness.” 

I do now. I have learned that God’s power is half the story, and if I don’t start to embrace the other part of the picture [God’s goodness], I’m going to keep wrestling and losing. A belief system that highlight’s God’s sovereignty without His goodness produces frustration and hurts our relationship with Him. A limited focus on sovereignty without goodness is a lie that the enemy wants us to believe. In fact, Adam and Eve bought into that very lie, and they lost. It paralyzes our faith and distorts our understanding of God’s character. It causes us to worry, maybe even panic. And, it’s not the picture Scripture paints. 

God is good. Always. 

“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” ~ Psalm 145:9

Prayer: Father God, thank You for BOTH your sovereignty that gives me peace, AND for Your goodness that gives me hope. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Influenced by my prayer life, our adoption journeys, Psalm 100:5, Romans 8:28, the Bible verses referenced above, the song “Just Be Held” by Casting Crowns, and the book “Thriving in Babylon” by Larry Osborne

©2016 As a Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

My book, "Clay Jar Cracked," is available on Lulu.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail sites, and including print, e-pub, nook, and kindle versions. To schedule speaking engagements, please email Cortney.  

Really, What Does Child of God Mean? By Cortney Donelson

Source Cred: Unknown

“Dad, can I tell you something?”

I overheard my 11-year old son asking my husband this question a few weeks ago. It’s one he’s often asked me. “Mom, can I tell you something?” This time, the phrase stopped me dead in my hair-drying tracks. Both my heart and soul melted right there on the bathroom floor. From their storage sheds, tears surfaced in my eyes. I couldn’t even blame the frigid Michigan air (which was our Christmas-time location). With sudden clarity, I heard the result of a raw, honest, open, trusting relationship between a child and parent. 

Oh dear and precious boy of mine, YES! Please tell me something. Tell me anything. Talk to me. Share with me. Reveal yourself to me. Trust me enough with your inner secret things. I want to know you. Really know you. I love you more than I can explain, and everything you say is important to me. 

Then came the revelation: THAT is how God wants us to talk to Him. “Daddy… Lord… God… can I tell you something?” God wants us to reveal ourselves to Him. Not because we feel like we have to. Not because He’s asked us to. When we’re trapped in the car with our seatbelts fastened, He doesn’t swoop in and ask the usual cliché, “How was your day?” His desire is for us to come to Him out of our own personal desire. Why? It’s important to Him. We are important to Him. Just like Marc’s and my response to our own son, “Of course! What is it you want to tell me?” God is waiting in expectancy for our stories, our hopes, our dreams. He is even waiting for us to tell Him about our doubts, fears, and questions. God wants all of us, not just pieces of us. He wants the good, the bad, and the obnoxious. He wants our vulnerability. He can handle any of it. He’ll love us through all of it.

Of course, Marc and I are not perfect. We are thankful when we do get these moments “right,” such as this Christmas instance. Yeah, of course, bud. What is it? There are times, though, when we miss an opportunity and remain somewhat tuned out in the midst of our own distractions. We are half listening, busy doing other things. But, God is perfect. He is there all the time, completely tuned in and engaged. Scripture says He races across the skies to hear us and rescue us. He draws near to us as we draw near to Him. He is always present. His love knows no limits. This is the reason we strive so hard to teach our kids to build their own trusting and tender relationship with Jesus. We will stumble; He won’t.

So, when we are described as children of God, it means we have a loving Father who will always wait in giddy anticipation for us to say, “Daddy, can I tell you something?” He’s an approachable God who will listen to every single word. I fully believe when we stop to pray, and we start with God, can I tell you something? all of heaven pauses because one of God’s precious children has reached up to openly reveal himself or herself to Him. And, in God’s mind, that act of love and trust deserves to be honored by the whole Kingdom. 

This may sound hard, ridiculous, or even awkward if you have trouble relating to God as Father. Perhaps your earthly father was not a safe person with whom you could share anything. I get it. I have had trouble relating to Jesus as friend. My long-ago hurts made it difficult to reconcile the fact that a friendship was anything worth having with my Savior. It felt insulting to call Jesus Friend. So, if it feels disrespectful to think of God as Father, and to think of yourself as a child of the Almighty, I’m here to say that is not how God wants it to be. Just as He’s taught me through my growing friendship with Him, He designed us – created us – for these kinds of relationships with Him. We are His sons and daughters. We are His heirs. And, it’s a perfect and holy father-child relationship.

Don’t delay. Go to Him now. Find a solitary place, and just whisper the words Father, can I tell you something? Make it a secret you’re sharing only with Him. As you do, listen to the raw honesty, the open trust, and the love that flows through your words. Heaven will stop for a moment of silence, His heart will skip a beat, and…

He’ll say yes. 

Prayer: Father God, can I tell you something? Can I tell you that I am....? Can I share that I feel…? Can I tell you about my day? Did you see when…? How do I handle...? Daddy, I just want to say… Thank You for racing across the skies to be with me. I love you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Influenced by my prayer life, 1 John 3:1-2, Romans 8:16, Luke 18:16-17, TLB, and looking through the lens of my mommy hat.

©2016 As a Clay Jar. All rights reserved.

My book, "Clay Jar Cracked," is available on Lulu.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retail sites, and including print, e-pub, nook, and kindle versions.