God-Sovereignty

There are two kinds of atheists: cogitative and ethical. The first type strives to prove his position by denying a need for any deity, while the second type cannot accept a God who sets rules of morality. The first type seeks assurance from his intellect, while the second type seeks assurance from the drives of his will; “they suppress the truth by their wickedness,” Paul says (Rom 1:18). Both types of atheism challenge the need or desire for any divine sovereignty. Speaking of these godless thinkers, Paul says, “What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse . . . their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (vv. 19-21).

Pope John Paul II, commenting on Psalm 86, reminded his audience that both space and time--the full reach of the universe and the full reach of history--give ample witness to God’s absolute sovereignty. The immediate corollary of this truth, said the Pope, is the conviction that “Only God, upon whom we creatures depend and to whom we all must turn in an attitude of adoration, can offer complete deliverance.”  This, of course, does not mean that we are free to disregard normal prudent means to live a full, safe, and holy life. It means that our every human decision is placed under the purview of his loving and dependable control and protection.

Since this God is not an aloof deity who is uninterested in his creatures--he’s not just “a” God or “the” God, but “my” God--we should, like David, cry out to him in a trust-filled plea: “You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.” (Ps 86:2, emphasis mine). Our limited and prejudicial thinking tends to regard the God of sovereign majesty as a God lacking any personalism. We tend to believe life’s events are happenstance rather than divine providence.

What conditions would you stipulate in order to allow someone to be in totally in charge of your life--that is, to exert complete sovereignty over your existence, status, health, prosperity, and so on? Probably you would require that such a person have such qualities as perfect wisdom, complete objectivity, and enormous power. A sovereign person would have to be able to see the end as perfectly as the beginning, be unprejudiced, and entertain no fears, limitations, or ignorance. He would have to always know what is best for you, diligently and consistently pursue that goal, never make a mistake, bring everything to a perfect conclusion with unshakable confidence in himself, and above all, have a deep concern for your welfare, with boundless love for you. Who besides God would qualify for this challenge?

Under the sovereignty of such a God, we can easily follow St. Augustine’s advice: “Leave the past to the mercy of God, the present to the love of God, and the future to the sovereign providence of God.” The result for us will be an increase in confidence, a decrease in insecurity, a vanishing of worry, and an imperturbable tranquility. It behooves us to pray often for the gift of a deep and unrelenting personal trust in this very personal but sovereign God.

This excerpt is from the book Pathways of Trust, by John H. Hampsch,C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.