The Ruler of Everything
If you were to look at a map of the world, you would see many different countries divided by territory lines. Each of those countries has a ruler who is responsible for what happens in those borders. Ever since the beginning of creation, humans have had ownership as rulers over portions of land.
It can be easy to look at the world and think those rulers alone have ultimate control over what happens within their land. As we look at Scripture though, we see that even though humans rule over various countries—it is God who truly rules over everything.
While many leaders have power over their land and people, God’s Word tells us that only God has true power. He is the One who created everything that exists, so He is the only one who is truly great and powerful.
Everything on earth and in heaven ultimately belongs to God, and regardless of what happens in the world, God is still the ruler over everything. No matter what earthly rulers decide, God is ultimately in control of everything. This is why God is deserving of all praise and glory for His greatness and power.
So take some time today to think about the greatness of God who made everything that exists, and yet still desires a relationship with His people. God is not some lofty ruler who makes decisions in a far off place, but He is present in the lives of those who call Him Lord.
Power, Love, and Discipline
One of the miracles of salvation is that when we have faith in Christ, God not only saves us—He also gives us the power to live according to His will. Your life in Christ is one that is empowered by the Holy Spirit living within you.
This is a great gift, but a big shift. It often takes time to change how we think and act. We may have bad habits that take hard work to correct, or patterns of thought that are challenging to break.
Thankfully, God promises to be with us and to empower us to make these changes in our life. When Paul is writing to his mentee Timothy, he encourages him to continue to develop the gift that God has given to him. While we are saved in an instant, it takes a lifetime to develop and work out what God is doing inside of us.
Paul reminds Timothy that God’s Spirit does not give us fear or cowardice. Those things are tools of the devil who is trying to keep us from God. But the Spirit of God empowers us with confidence in Him. He gives us the ...