The Supremacy of Christ

I didn’t have an extended time of prayer yesterday… and I paid the price. When I pray, the day seems longer and my attitude can handle whatever happens. Not so yesterday. I was constantly dropping things, crabby, and didn’t get much done.

Today’s devotional tells me why. It is about the supremacy of Christ. He rules over illness, the weather, evil spirits, and all created matter.

And standing over her, [Jesus] rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them. (Luke 4:39)
They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. (Luke 8:24)
While [his father] was still approaching, the demon slammed [the boy] to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. (Luke 9:42)

When Jesus speaks, He has not only the will to change things but the power to do so. Illness may have to do with chemical reactions in our body cells, with molecules and electrons and the laws of physics and chemistry, yet Jesus designed those laws ages ago and sustains them each day…

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16–17)
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high... (Hebrews 1:3)

… but His Word is above all these laws, reversing them by rebuking them. As Piper points out, when Christ thinks a thing with sufficient intentionality, it materializes. All matter is utterly dependent for its origin, existence, and stability on the thought of Christ.

What about the other minds besides Christ’s? For example, unclean spirits? The NT clearly shows that the mind of Christ rules them too. One thought from Him and whether matter or mind, He sustains. He governs or it can also be altered, healed, cherished forever, or extinguished. All that exists hangs on His will. This is amazing and faith-building!

PRAY: When I pray and give myself and my day to You, this is not mere sentiment or even a yielding of my will. It is asking You to do what I ask (or even more) by the power of Your will. When I pray, it requires humility as well as faith in Your all-encompassing, all-sustaining, all-governing power. If I do not pray, who or what am I trusting? This is the Gospel repeated again. I cannot save myself and I cannot keep myself in Your will and expect great things. Only You, in Your enduring and faithful grace, can do that. I’ve no excuse for neglecting prayer, only a confession of the sin of it.

God is in Control

Two days of steady rain bring out certain attitudes in people. Those who live in the city are the most apt to complain about the weather, while farmers understand the necessity of rain, especially this time of year. 

Yesterday a city person raved about the rain, not annoyed with it, but delighted. Her praises delighted me sufficiently that I’m still thinking about her words and how refreshing it felt to hear someone appreciate what is often considered a big irritation, particularly when it happens on a weekend.

This morning’s devotional verse is about the One who controls the weather — and everything else.

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)

In the past few months, the circumstances of my life have involved several tests of faith. Heart problems, and severe difficulties in the lives of family members and friends could make me question the care of God. Other events in our church and in our country could make me question His wisdom. Yet in these, I do not question His sovereignty. I know that He is King and rules over all. But can I praise Him like that city person who praised the rain?

The comments for this verse say there is nothing that can be excluded as a matter for praise since there is nothing which is not a matter of the Lord’s gracious permission, planning, or control. He is in charge, and although I may not understand His plan (which is most of the time), He does have a plan. Because He is good, there are good reasons for what happens. 

Sometimes I feel like the child being taken to the dentist. This doesn’t seem like a good plan to me, but my Father knows what I need. Or sometimes I feel like I am walking a long hallway in the dark, yet He holds my hand. He is always with me.

More difficult is watching crisis in the lives of others and question what God is doing in them and to them. Yet from The Chronicals of Narnia book, The Horse and His Boy, I hear the Holy Spirit say, “That is not for you to know, this is not your story.” Peter questioned Jesus in the same way about John, and Jesus said, “Never mind about him; you follow me.”

No matter where I go or what happens to me, I cannot step outside of the kingdom of God. He owns ruling dominion, even in the lives of those who cannot see it or will not acknowledge it. Nothing is beyond His care or His Almighty power. All that happens is from His hand. All is given or allowed by Him in His great wisdom. The powers that seem to rule in this age of seeming godlessness have no idea that they operate only by the sovereign permission of a patient God, full of mercy and grace. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and ending of all things.

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Lord, it is with a settled heart that I begin this day, knowing that whatever it brings will not be a surprise to You. Already I know of more demands than I can possibly meet, yet knowing You are in charge is a greater knowledge and tremendously practical. Without You, I would be in a state of panic or at least under deep stress with concerns over the cares of life. My responsibilities are piled high and deep, but You are higher and deeper and broader than anything that can happen. Indeed, You are the One behind all those happenings — and also the One who loves me.