Tag Archives: God’s sovereignty

“The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” (Psalm 135:6, NIV)

“Unbossed and unbought” was the slogan of the late Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005).

Chisholm was the first black woman elected to the U. S. Congress (New York – 1968); the first black candidate from a major political party (Democratic) for the U. S. Presidency (1972); and the Democratic party’s first female nominee for President.

Although I was too young to vote in 1972, I remember well the appeal of Congresswoman Chisholm: Direct, truthful, principled, and — of course — “unbossed and unbought.”  Many in the electorate who were on the margins of political influence and financial power were energized by Chisholm’s history and her message.

The psalmist’s description of God is of One who is truly sovereign.  Sovereignty is defined as “the quality of having supreme, independent authority” in a particular realm; or, as the psalmist says: Doing “whatever pleases him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.”

It should cheer us to worship a God who is sovereign over (and in) everything because He can never be “bossed,” and He can never — ever — be “bought.”  – Luther

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“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'” (2 Kings 5:16, NIV)

There is a saying: “God plus one is a majority.” That saying is a lie. The truth is this: God by Himself is a majority!

There may be times when we feel alone — if not abandoned. Today’s scripture reminds us that we are not only not alone; but that we need never fear or fret, because on God’s side there are always more of “us” than there are of “them.”  – Luther

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“I know the greatness of the LORD — that our Lord is greater than any other god. The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths. He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.” (Psalm 135:5-7, NLT)

More than forty years ago, J. B. Phillips wrote a book (which is still in print, by the way) titled, “Your God is Too Small.” The title alone provokes the question: How big is your God?

The psalmist, as we see in today’s selection, had a big God.  There is a direct relationship between the size of our problems and the size of our God. As I heard related many years ago in a sermon by the Rev. Gerald Mann of Austin, Texas: “Big God, small problems.  Small God, big problems.”

Having a God that cannot be bossed, because He is all-powerful; that cannot be bought, because he has infinite resources; is a comfort, a joy, and an arsenal for whatever problems life presents!  – Luther

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