God’s Sovereignty

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For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 

a time to be born, and a time to die; 

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 

a time to kill, and a time to heal; 

a time to break down, and a time to build up; 

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; 

a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; 

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 

a time to seek, and a time to lose; 

a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 

a time to tear, and a time to sew; 

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 

a time to love, and a time to hate; 

a time for war, and a time for peace (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV). 

Are you singing this in your head?! I know I did! I am SO glad my Bible reading plan had me read Ecclesiastes 3 today!

עֵ֥ת (time) is repeated 29 times in verses 1:8. Estes states, “The principle that lies behind the list of illustrations in 3:2–8 is that God has a plan that embraces all humans and all their actions at all times” (Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms, 2005, p. 309).

No book of the Bible is more applicable to our world today than Ecclesiastes. God’s sovereignty is being missed in the midst of all the chaos that is occurring in our world. To this point Estes states, “…despite appearances, God’s activity in the world is not arbitrary or haphazard; closer inspection reveals that there is divine order within the apparent chaos of life under the sun” (p. 309).

God’s plan encompasses the most mundane areas and activities of our lives; as well as the whole gamut of human emotions. Believers need to be confident that all of life is under God’s Sovereign and Providential control, not our human control. Our response is to obey God, trusting that He will equip us and see us through.

When I take my eyes off of God and His Sovereignty, I can have a very negative outlook. When Solomon (author) says, “everything is vanity/meaningless” (Ecc 1:2) and there is “nothing under the sun” (Ecc 1:9) he is saying that without God “everything is vanity/meaningless” with “nothing new under the sun.”

Now more than ever do we need to remind ourselves that God is in control. That He knows individuals and He knows and rules over this world. We know that God’s Word brings life and yet we consistently seem to be feeding ourselves with the things of this world. I am NOT suggesting that we should not be informed! God does not call us to bury our heads in the sand! He calls us to be in this world but not of this world.

May we take time today and this weekend to mediate on how God’s Presence has worked in the mundane times of our lives. May we start reading autobiographies or biographies of godly saints who went before us and how they endured persecution or stood for Jesus when it was costly.

Only in Jesus do we find value and meaning. Only in Jesus do we have peace and hope in a world gone mad. Only in Jesus do we know that regardless of what happens in this life, we will be with Him in the end. There is indeed a time and season for everything “under heaven” and the Lord Jesus Christ is in control of it all.

Father God, thank You that You are Sovereign over all. Thank You that there is NO moment this world has ever seen where You were not in control! Lord God, may we focus on You and the meaning and purpose You have for us. Lord God, may we preach Your Word to ourselves when we are discouraged and in despair and fearful. Now more than ever Lord is it essential for believers to be in community with other believers. What that looks like Lord for each person only You know, but may this reader know they have a friend in me! Lord God, thank You for all the times that You do not give us new insight but rather remind us of the insight You have already given us. Lord God, may we obey You. May we trust You walking by faith and not by sight or feeling. Lord God, thank You for this reader. Please Lord, fill this reader with the Peace of Your Presence. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

 

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Blue Collar Theologian

My name is Mandy Sweigart-Quinn, I live in Lancaster, PA and I am a “Blue Collar Theologian.” I love Jesus! I am passionate about His Word (The Holy Bible)! I come alive when I can encourage others in their walk with Jesus (whether by writing or speaking). As a “Blue Collar Theologian” it is my aim to live/practice/work out my Christian hope with sincerity, authenticity and genuineness. As a “Blue Collar Theologian,” I strive to meet people right where they are (“Incarnational Theology”). I graduated in May 2019 from Capital Seminary and Graduate School with a Master's in Biblical Studies. I am a passionate, excited and enthusiastic person! I love flowers, sports and sunsets. Since January 2, 2018 I have had the privilege of being married to Nathan.

64 thoughts on “God’s Sovereignty”

      1. You’re welcome, Mandy. Scheduled to see him on Sunday. Here’s a little video I made with him last week. (It’s on Facebook, so I’m not sure you’ll be able to open it.)

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  3. After reading other enlightened and uplifting books, I always come back to a Holy Bible, and I use a concordance and compare versions and translations. I also watch The Chosen and meditate on the time and place the Bible writers lived in to put certain things in context. And yes, I was singing along with you while reading the first part of this article too!
    ❤️🦋🌀🎼🙏☯️

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    1. Hey, Sheila! I am encouraged to hear that you always come back to the Bible as your source. Textual comparisons is vital and I applaud you for doing so! There are a lot of great books that talk about the background of the Bible. I would be more than willing to recommend some if you are interested! Context is indeed king! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

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  4. I resonate with your post this morning Mandy. God is so much in control of the smallest details. The question before me each morning is “Will I be in his submission to him today”? He opens our eyes to his workings as we join him and we get to see above the visor in a sense as He guides our doings.

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    1. I love your question, Gary! That is a wise way to start the day and I am going to borrow your question!!! Obedience and submission are beyond taboo in our society today. I am SO thankful for you! Are you feeling any better?! Praying for you!

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      1. Thanks for your prayer Mandy. I am very gradually feeling better. Yes, pride seems to be the most valued character trait of our society as it is with the god of this world. Pride can look like a mighty strong tower…built on sand by the seashore with rumblings of thunderstorms a coming.

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  5. Wonderful! Love it and this: ” Lord God, thank You for all the times that You do not give us new insight but rather remind us of the insight You have already given us. “‘

    God is God and God is sovereign. God is in control.

    Blessings from mighty King Jesus.

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    1. Michael, I am SO glad that God is God and that I am not! I am always reminded and humbled quickly how terribly things go when I try to play God in my life and in the lives of others! So thankful that He is in control and that He is gracious and merciful to correct us when we step out of line! I am thankful for you, brother! Love and blessings to you and your family! Praying for your ministry!

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  6. This was so encouraging to read. Thanks, Mandy. We can never be reminded to much that God is sovereign. The reminders are even more needed nowadays, as you well know! I also enjoyed reading the passage from Ecclesiastes again, which I actually just read in another book. It’s good to recognize that there is a time for everything and to recognize that all of it is under God’s control. Blessings, my friend!

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    1. Hi, Colleen!! I am SO thankful that our Sovereign God clothes us in His Righteousness and will so each day until we are with Him where we will receive our glorified and perfect bodies. You are SUCH a blessing, Colleen! Lots of love and hugs!! Never hesitate to contact me (als0810@comcast.net) for prayer or anything like that. I have been able to email, text, Skype, zoom with others with other bloggers outside of this WordPress platform and it’s been an amazing experience! Love, hugs and blessings dear friend!

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  7. I’ve been feeling SO overwhelmed lately, I really needed this reminder. I was trying to read through Proverbs, but I think I’ll give my focus to Ecclesiastes the next few days. There wasn’t a specific reason I was reading Proverbs.

    Anyway, thanks 🙂 If you ever wonder if your blog has a positive impact or not, let me reassure you that it does! ❤️ The way you present yourself online is also a good Christian example and sure inspires me to be better 🙂

    Have a wonderful weekend! I’m probably going to stay offline but you know you can always reach me 🙂 God bless!

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    1. You are the best baby sister I could ever ask for! I do wonder if my blog matters (part of my negative outlook when not focused on God) so thank you for your encouragement! I do my best to write on my blog like how I talk/text in real life. I do not ever want to be disqualified or be called a hypocrite. Anyway, enough about that! If you have any questions on Ecclesiastes you know where to reach me as well! This is seriously one of my most favorite books, not just in the Bible but in all of literature. Wise people seek wise people and I am thankful for your wisdom and commitment to truth! Jesus loves you sweet friend and so do I!!!

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  8. Really agree with the comments here, God’s sovereignty is a bulwark for faith. And I am sharing the truth about life seasons with others, esp my elderly parents. So many see the end nearing but hold on tight to things and places bc without the Lord, eternity is a dark unknown.
    Press on dear sister, I hope all is well with you – and PQ too!

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    1. Thank you, Lisa Beth! Nathan and I FaceTime on his lunch break and we were just talking how believers need to let go of this world. The US is NOT the new Jerusalem, will NEVER be the New Jerusalem and the more we are in the Word the more prepared we will be for what’s to come. PQ is curled up in front of the fireplace as it’s a cold, gray windy day here in Lancaster, PA. How are you and Starry doing?! Lots of love, hugs and blessings!

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  9. The Sovereignty of God is one of my favourite subjects, it gets my heart all excited when I contrast it with the uncertain world we live in. What greater reason can there be to praise Father God than that He is Sovereign!

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  10. Amen!! Ecclesiastes is so rich with wisdom! Daily, I am reminding myself He is in control. When we possess that knowledge, there lies a hope that can never be dashed, regardless of the season. ( And, yes, I sang it. May have to pull out my 45 of it now! 😄)

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  13. Thanks for this encouraging post, Mandy! We need to always remember God is in control.

    Hey, I didn’t know you are a fan of the Byrds and their #1 single from 1965, Turn! Turn! Turn!

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    1. I do like the Byrds. As to Crosby, I have also seen Crosby, Still, Nash and Young quite a few times. I’ve also seen Neil Young solo a few times as well. Anyway, thank you for reading, I appreciate it!

      How was work today?! Love and blessings to you and Corinne!

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      1. RE: Work

        Thanks! Very busy. Running like a 30YO while the 30YOs were shooting the breeze all day. Our boss is allergic to confrontation. Thanks and love and blessings to you and Nathan! Enjoy the weekend!

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  15. Amen 🙏🏽. May we look to Him and know that all is going according to His perfect plan. May we remember that and be United in prayer and in the need to share His love for others. God is in control, may we submit to Him and let Him lead and guide us.
    Thank you Mandy for this encouraging reminder.
    Manu.

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  16. Awesome post today! For us here at the ranch, it is the start of calving season. We currently have a baby cow in a 150 gallon tub in the living room bottle feeding her. Getting her natural instincts to kick in and suckle is the hard first step. I got 1 pint of milk in her tummy this morning, so progress! Then she laid down and is taking a nap. So the blog post I am working on might just be waiting until she gets full. Everything in its season. 🤪

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  17. I know what you mean when you described the ST guys further. Youth Group went well we covered the topic of same sex attraction. Each Sunday once a month we going to tackle controversial topics. Going to lead a Berkhof discussion in a bit, an hour from now

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  18. Book of Ecclesiastes is one of my favourites. Singing along with the song …😀
    Great post Mandy. So comforting to know our Triune God is in always in control. It is knowing that He is Sovereign that has kept me sane the last three weeks ….
    Amen ! to your prayer.
    Blessings to you and yours your hubby sweet sister Mandy.

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  19. I grew to love the idea of, the truth of, His titles of Alpha & Omega. It helps my perspective when understanding everything in timespans He is in control and all things I experience is filtered through His hands. A time for every purpose…and He will be there each “time”. Hugs from Texas. – Alan

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    1. Hi, Stacey! I would recommend reading anything about Hudson Taylor, George Mueller, Amy Carmichael. I have God’s Smuggler somewhere that I will give you when I see you. That book is a classic! Corrie ten Boom’s “The Hiding Place” is another classic (also a movie which might be good to watch with the fam!). Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your question. I LOVE questions!!!!!

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