God's Sovereignty: Peace, Unity, and Dependence on Him
Devotional
Day 1: God's Sovereignty Brings Order from Chaos
God's sovereignty is evident in His ability to bring peace and order out of chaos. This truth is illustrated through biblical narratives such as the creation of the world, the calming of the Red Sea, and the defeat of Sennacherib's army. These stories demonstrate God's sovereign power to protect His people and establish peace against all odds. When God gives quietness, no one can disturb it, encouraging us to trust in His power and presence, knowing that He is in control of all circumstances. [05:56]
"For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling." (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust God's sovereignty to bring peace and order? How can you actively surrender this area to Him today?
Day 2: The Essential Presence of God
The presence of God is essential for true peace and joy. Without His presence, even the most comforting doctrines and experiences become meaningless. This highlights the need for a personal relationship with God, where His presence is our greatest treasure. We are encouraged to seek His presence continually, recognizing that it is through His Spirit that we achieve victory and find true fulfillment. [33:25]
"And he said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' And he said to him, 'If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.'" (Exodus 33:14-15, ESV)
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper awareness of God's presence in your daily life? What specific practices can you incorporate to prioritize His presence?
Day 3: Cherishing Unity and Peace in the Church
The peace and unity within a church are gifts from God that should be cherished and protected. When God gives quietness to a church, it is a sign of His blessing and favor. We are called to maintain this unity through love and humility, recognizing that it is a precious gift. This divine quietness is not just for individuals but also for communities, and it is our responsibility to cherish and maintain it. [29:15]
"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!" (Psalm 133:1-2, ESV)
Reflection: What steps can you take to promote unity and peace within your church community? How can you contribute to a culture of love and humility?
Day 4: Hope and Healing for the Troubled Sinner
For those who are troubled and burdened by sin, there is hope in Christ. His atonement is sufficient to bring peace and quietness to the most troubled heart. This assurance invites us to come to Him, trusting in His ability to heal and restore. The power of His blood to cleanse and heal is a source of hope for the seeking sinner, offering peace to troubled hearts. [22:40]
"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." (Isaiah 1:18, ESV)
Reflection: Is there a specific sin or burden you need to bring to Christ for healing and restoration? How can you take a step towards experiencing His peace today?
Day 5: Dependence on God for Revival
The sermon calls for a renewed dependence on God for revival and spiritual awakening. It challenges us to pray fervently and to believe that God can do great things in our midst. Our faith and prayers are crucial in seeing God's power manifested in our communities. We are encouraged to depend entirely on God and to seek His presence continually for revival and spiritual growth. [45:38]
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in seeking revival in your community? What specific prayers or actions can you commit to this week to depend on God for spiritual awakening?
Sermon Summary
In reflecting on the profound truth that God is our all in all, we are reminded of our complete dependence on Him for everything good, strong, and effectual. The sermon begins by celebrating the recent conversions and spiritual victories within our community, acknowledging that these are not the results of human effort but the workings of God's Spirit. We are encouraged to give glory to God, recognizing that it is not by might nor by power, but by His Spirit that we achieve victory.
The sermon draws from the book of Job, emphasizing that when God gives quietness, no one can create trouble, and when He hides His face, no one can behold Him. This truth is illustrated through various biblical narratives, such as the creation of the world, the calming of the Red Sea, and the defeat of Sennacherib's army. These stories demonstrate God's sovereign power to bring peace and order out of chaos and to protect His people against all odds.
We are reminded that this divine quietness is not just for individuals but also for nations and communities. When God sets a hedge around His people, no power can break through. This assurance extends to the church, where unity and peace are seen as gifts from God. The sermon calls us to cherish and maintain this peace, recognizing that it is a blessing that can be easily lost if we stray from our first love or become unfaithful.
The message also addresses the seeking sinner, offering hope that God can bring peace to troubled hearts. It emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ's atonement and the power of His blood to cleanse and heal. The sermon concludes with a call to prayer and faith, urging us to depend entirely on God and to seek His presence continually.
Key Takeaways
1. God's Sovereignty in Peace and Chaos: God's ability to bring peace and order out of chaos is a testament to His sovereignty. Whether in the natural world or in our personal lives, when God gives quietness, no one can disturb it. This truth encourages us to trust in His power and presence, knowing that He is in control of all circumstances. [05:56]
2. The Importance of Divine Presence: The presence of God is essential for true peace and joy. Without His presence, even the most comforting doctrines and experiences become meaningless. This highlights the need for a personal relationship with God, where His presence is our greatest treasure. [33:25]
3. Unity and Peace in the Church: The peace and unity within a church are gifts from God that should be cherished and protected. When God gives quietness to a church, it is a sign of His blessing and favor. We are called to maintain this unity through love and humility, recognizing that it is a precious gift. [29:15]
4. Hope for the Troubled Sinner: For those who are troubled and burdened by sin, there is hope in Christ. His atonement is sufficient to bring peace and quietness to the most troubled heart. This assurance invites us to come to Him, trusting in His ability to heal and restore. [22:40]
5. Dependence on God for Revival: The sermon calls for a renewed dependence on God for revival and spiritual awakening. It challenges us to pray fervently and to believe that God can do great things in our midst. Our faith and prayers are crucial in seeing God's power manifested in our communities. [45:38] ** [45:38]
When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble, and when he hideth his face who then can Behold Him whether it be done against a nation or against a man only. Job chapter 34 29. God all in all a sermon delivered on Lord's Day morning February the 24th, 1867 by CH Spurgeon. [00:00:00]
We cheerfully confess that neither our own arm nor Our Own Strength can give us the victory, and to Jehovah be all glory let us hear the voice which saith not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord, and that each believer here prostrate himself in reverence Before the Throne of the great king and thank him with heart and soul for all the mercy and goodness which he has made to pass before us. [00:19:38]
Our entire dependence upon God who is our all in all that is the thought of the morning and that thought the text illustrates in two ways we are made to see all sufficiency of God to us and our dependence upon Him First in his effectual working when he giveth quietness who then can make trouble secondly in his Sovereign withdrawals when he hideth his face who then can Behold Him. [00:37:36]
The Holy Spirit brooded upon it and by his mysterious energy air long he brought order out of confusion and now this Fair round world of ours with all its matchless beauty of landscape and rolling flood fixed and firm has become a standing proof that when God giveth quietness none can disturb it. [00:56:30]
All history declares the truth that when God determines to set a hedge around any people it is not possible for any power human or infernal to break through that hedge. I will be a wall of fire round about thee and a glory in thy midst is a blessed promise which ensures quietness to those who dwell within its glorious protection. [00:12:35]
Beloved a glimpse of our Heavenly father's face even Sweden's affliction the bitterest tears if he smile but on them like do you in the Sunshine Grow diamond and Gem we have found it sweet to be afflicted when we have enjoyed the presence of God in it so that we have counted it all joy when we have fallen into diverse Temptations because in our hour of extremity and Peril the Savior has been unspeakably the more precious. [00:14:18]
You know very well dear friends that if the Lord be withdrawn no Comforts can make up for his absence but if all Earthly Comforts be taken you will not utter so much as a single murmuring word if the Lord will but fill the vacuum with himself you will say Lord I Thank thee that there was the more room for thee the more room for thy fullness when the creature failed me. [00:15:01]
If the Lord shall be pleased to give thee poor troubled heart quietness this day in Christ none can make trouble in thy soul what a mercy it is for you that God can give you peace and quietness some of you have been during the last Fortnight much troubled the arrows of God are sticking fast in you your very flesh faints as though it could not much longer bear the strain of your spiritual griefs. [00:20:01]
If the Savior lead thee to the Cross he will show thee that he fulfilled the law on thy behalf that thou art not thyself under the law any longer but under grace the law is a task master but the Taskmaster Can Only Rule his own slaves and when thou believest in Jesus Thou Art no more a slave but a child and the task master has no further power over the henceforth and forever. [00:21:01]
If the Lord give thee quietness thine ungodly friends will give thee very little trouble for thou will have Grace to bear with them if they shall revile thee thou will turn their revilings into Joy thanking God that thou art accounted worthy to be reviled for Jesus sake while in the midst of it thou will sometimes take an opportunity of speaking a good word for thy master and so be thankful that thou artplaced where thou art wanted. [00:24:32]
I could not admit saying this out of thankfulness to God for the quietness which he has for years been pleased to give to us as a Christian Community during 13 years and more we have been knit together as one man while we have lived to see certain sects that were the one and only church that railed almost with the mouth of a sandbalat and tobiah and all other Christians as worldly schismatics while they themselves were scriptural Immaculate the Brethren the perfect ones. [00:26:41]
We are utterly dependent upon God absolutely must we rest on him but this is as it should be for it we're better to trust in the Lord than to have confidence in man but it's a trust in the Lord than to have confidence in princes through the blood of Jesus let us rest in Divine love and give the Lord no rest till he may bear his arm in the midst of this land. [00:46:51]