Lamentations 3:37-38: "Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?"

Meditation:

God is truly sovereign. He is sovereign over blessings, He is sovereign over judgments, and He is sovereign over sufferings. It is important to acknowledge God's absolute sovereignty because it has a direct impact on if/how you persevere. You either see your circumstances as out of God's control, or you see the Triune God as the One ultimately behind the circumstances of your life.

Matthew Henry observes "[acknowledging God's sovereignty over our circumstances] will help to quiet our spirits under our afflictions and to sanctify them to us... Men can do nothing but according to the counsel of God, nor have any power or success but what is given them from above" Henry, 574).

I read through Job over the Christmas break and I noticed something I have failed to notice in previous read-throughs. I noticed that Job never speaks of Satan in light of his sufferings. He is God-focused. Job understood that even though Satan touched him, it was only by God's will that he did so. Job saw God as sovereign even behind his trials and tribulations. This should bring us comfort no matter our circumstance in life. We do not serve a God who is helpless or powerless. We do not serve a God who is disinterested or distant. We do not serve a God who has an equal and wrestles with that equal. We have and serve a God who has no match. He is the Ultimate Sovereign. Job declared that God's purpose could never be thwarted (Job 42:2). Our God has declared the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and He is building us for eternity (Romans 8:28-29). So take heart, believer. Our God is truly sovereign.