When the founder of the Navigators, Dawson Trotman, died in a boating accident a generation ago (after being thrown from the boat, he held up two young women until they were saved, before perishing himself), there was disbelief and grief among all those who were present. Yet when a close friend broke the news to his wife with the words, “Oh, Lila, he’s gone…Dawson’s gone!” Lila Trotman responded with the words of Ps. 115:3 — “Our God is in the heavens, He does whatever He pleases.”
Indeed.
Even in her grief, she was aware and content with and confident in the sufficiency of God to care for her in all that remained ahead of her.
Learning to be confident in the sovereignty of God is one of the most important lessons of life. While many espouse a superficial affirmation in God’s sovereignty, their despair in trying circumstances reveals the true condition of their trust (or lack of it).
To that end, we do well to consider the many ways in which God is sovereign, and what an appropriate response to that sovereignty is. Below is a list of verses compiled by Bob Deffinbaugh, which is helpful place to begin our study.
- Genesis 50:20
- Exodus 18:11
- Deuteronomy 4:39
- 1 Samuel 2:1-10
- 2 Kings 19:15
- 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
- 2 Chronicles 20:5-6
- Job 9:12; 12:13-25; 23:13; 33:12-13; 41:11; 42:2
- Psalms 2 (all); 22:27-28; 37:23; 75:6-8; 76:10; 95:3-5; 103:19; 115:3*; 135:5-18 (5-6)
- Proverbs 16:1-5, 9, 33; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1
- Ecclesiastes 3:14; 9:1
- Isaiah 14:24-27; 40:12-15, 18, 22, 25; 44:6,24-28; 45:5, 7, 9-13; 46:9-11
- Jeremiah 18:6; 32:17-23, 27; 50:44
- Lamentations 3:37; 5:19
- Daniel 2:21, 37-38; 4:17, 32, 34-35; 5:18; 7:27; 6:26
- Matthew 11:25-26; 20:1-16
- John 19:11
- Acts 2:22-24; 4:24-28; 17:26
- Romans 8:28; 11:36; 14:11
- Ephesians 1:11; 4:6
- Philippians 2:9-11
- Colossians 1:16-17
- 1 Timothy 6:15
- Hebrews 1:3
- James 4:12
- Revelation 1:5-6
Words of Grace 