Sovereign: Trying to Understand an All-Knowing, All-Powerful God

sov·er·eign

/ˈsäv(ə)rən/

Adjective Possessing supreme or ultimate power God is sovereign. This is a fact. In light of the recent tragedy, I know a lot of people are asking, "How could a loving God let this happen?" "Why?" and the other "tough questions."  I'm not the right person to answer this, but NO ONE has the answers.  I've been praying about this post, and I hope that it would help at least one person, a little bit. I can't pretend to understand how God works.  I don't know why what happened Friday in Newtown, Connecticut, happened.  A lot of people are saying this wasn't God's will, and it wasn't, originally.  All of the evil came into the world when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and fell into sin.  If you look at their family, things were messed up even all the way back then-one son killed another out of envy.  God knew that Adam and Eve would sin, but He still gave them the ability to choose right or wrong.  I don't understand this completely, either-how can God preordain things and still give us a choice?  Is our choice preordained whether we realize it or not? Lamentations 3:37-38 tells us, "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?"  Some people would say that God is evil then, to have "caused" this.  But God cannot sin-He is holy, just, and loving, everything that we are not. What I do know is this-if this happened outside of God's will, our God isn't sovereign.  And if our God isn't sovereign, then He can't have control over everything.  And if there are things outside of God's control...that's not good.  It'd mess up the whole plan since before time began, the way that Adam and Eve and the rest of us can have a relationship with Him after they fell and we were all born into sin.  See, Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life, and no one comes to God the Father except through Him.  God provided a way out of sin and death and darkness, into the light, into life, and that's Jesus.  And I firmly believe that those twenty little children are with Him now.  Although it seems SO unfair that they never had the chance to live their lives, to graduate, to get married, they are in the presence of a Father who loves them more than we can imagine.  They will never suffer again. My heart breaks for the families of these kids, and the adults who died trying to protect them.  I pray for them, that they would be comforted, that they would know love from the people around them, and ultimately from God.  If I could, I would share with them these verses:     "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." -Revelation 21:4 "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18 Finally, I'd like to share this beautiful poem I saw online last night.

 

twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled wit...

h such joy, they didn't know what to say.
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."
when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"come now my children, let me show you around."
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA