God's Sovereignty in Our Struggles and Trials
God's Sovereignty in Trials
The concept of God's sovereignty in our struggles and trials is rooted in biblical teachings that portray God as a refuge and strength to His people. Psalms 46:1 declares, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" [3]. This verse encapsulates the idea that God is not only powerful but also intimately involved in the lives of believers, providing them with the necessary strength to face various challenges.
The sovereignty of God is multifaceted, encompassing His power, righteousness, and love. According to Torrey's Topical Textbook, God's power is described as great, strong, glorious, mighty, everlasting, sovereign, effectual, and irresistible [5]. This understanding of God's power underscores His capability to intervene in the lives of believers, especially during times of struggle and trial.
One of the key aspects of God's sovereignty is His role as a refuge and comforter to the afflicted. Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights that God is with His saints in their afflictions, serves as a refuge and strength to them, comforts them, preserves them, and delivers them [4]. This portrayal of God is echoed in the Psalms, where it is written that "In God we do mightily, And He doth tread down our adversaries!" [1, 2].
The biblical narrative also emphasizes God's sovereignty over all creation and His ability to uphold and sustain His people. John Gill notes that the Lord Jesus Christ, as God and man, is the refuge for souls to flee unto for safety and the source of all spiritual strength for believers [8]. This Christocentric view of God's sovereignty underscores the significance of faith in Christ as a means of experiencing God's power and comfort in times of trial.
The relationship between God's sovereignty and human suffering is complex. According to Calvin, human struggles against adversity are, in a sense, empowered by God Himself, who both challenges believers to contest and furnishes them with the means of resistance [6]. This perspective suggests that God's sovereignty is not about isolating believers from hardships but about enabling them to persevere through those hardships.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul's experiences provide a practical illustration of God's sovereignty in the midst of struggles. Paul's thorn in the flesh and his plea for its removal are met with the Lord's response, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" [7]. This exchange highlights the paradox that God's power is often most evident in human weakness, reinforcing the idea that divine sovereignty is not about eliminating challenges but about providing the necessary grace to overcome them.
The various Christian traditions represented in the sources converge on the understanding that God's sovereignty is a source of comfort, strength, and hope for believers facing trials. While the specifics of how this sovereignty is understood may vary, the core conviction is that God is actively involved in the lives of His people, providing them with the resources needed to navigate life's challenges.
The historical development of this doctrine is deeply rooted in biblical interpretation and the theological reflections of the Church Fathers and Reformers. The Reformed tradition, for example, has emphasized the sovereignty of God in all aspects of life, including the experiences of believers in their struggles and trials. This emphasis is reflected in the works of theologians like Calvin and Gill, who underscore the comprehensive nature of God's sovereignty [6, 8].
Sources
- Psalms “Psalms 108:13 (YLT) — In God we do mightily, And He doth tread down our adversaries!”
- Psalms “Psalms 60:12 (YLT) — In God we do mightily, And He treadeth down our adversaries!”
- Psalms “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. -- Psalms 46:1”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Afflicted Saints — God is with -- Ps 46:5,7; Isa 43:2. God is a refuge and strength to -- Ps 27:5,6; Isa 25:4; Jer 16:19; Na 1:7. God comforts -- Isa 49:13; Jer 31:13; Mt 5:4; 2Co 1:4,5; 7:6. God preserves -- Ps 34:20. God delivers -- Ps 34:4,19; Pr 12:13; Jer 39:17,18. Christ is with -- Joh 14:18. Christ supports -- 2Ti 4:17; Heb 2:18. Christ comforts -- Isa 61:2; Mt 11:28-30; Lu 7:13; Joh 14:1; 16:33. Christ preserves -- Isa 63:9; Lu 21:18. Christ delivers -- Re 3:10. Should praise God -- Ps 13:5,6; 56:8-10; 57:6,7; 71:20-23. Should imitate Christ -- Heb 12:1-3; 1P”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Power of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- Ps 62:11. Expressed by the Voice of God. -- Ps 29:3,5; 68:33. Finger of God. -- Ex 8:19; Ps 8:3. Hand of God. -- Ex 9:3,15; Isa 48:13. Arm of God. -- Job 40:9; Isa 52:10. Thunder of his power. -- Job 26:14. Described as Great. -- Ps 79:11; Na 1:3. Strong. -- Ps 89:13; 136:12. Glorious. -- Ex 15:6; Isa 63:12. Mighty. -- Job 9:4; Ps 89:13. Everlasting. -- Isa 26:4; Ro 1:20. Sovereign. -- Ro 9:21. Effectual. -- Isa 43:13; Eph 3:7. Irresistible. -- De 32:39; Da 4:35. Incomparable. -- Ex 15:11,12; De 3:24; Job 40:9; Ps 89:8.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 9.16: it is easy to untie the knot. For we do not fight against him, except by his own power, and with his own weapons; for he, having challenged us to this contest, at the same time furnishes us with means of resistance, so that he both fights against us and for us. In short, such is his apportioning of it is conflict, that, while he assails us with one hand, he defends us with the other; yea, inasmuch as he supplies us with more strength to resist than he employs in opposing us, we may truly and properly say, that he fights against u”
- 2 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Corinthians 12:9: said--literally, "He hath said," implying that His answer is enough [ALFORD]. is sufficient--The trial must endure, but the grace shall also endure and never fail thee [ALFORD], (Deu 33:25). The Lord puts the words into Paul's mouth, that following them up he might say, "O Lord, Thy grace is sufficient for me" [BENGEL]. my strength--Greek, "power." is made perfect--has its most perfect manifestation. in weakness--Do not ask for sensible strength, FOR My power is perfected in man's "strengthlessness" (so the Greek). The "for" implies, thy”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 46:1: God is our refuge and strength,.... That is, Christ, who is God as well as man, is the "refuge" for souls to fly unto for safety; as for sensible sinners, in a view of danger, wrath, and misery, so for saints, in every time of distress; typified by the cities of refuge, under the legal dispensation; See Gill on Psa 9:9; and he it is from whom they have all their spiritual strength, and every renewal and supply of it, to exercise grace, perform duties, withstand enemies, bear the cross patiently, show a fortitude of mind under the sorest distresses, and hold on and out”