You Can’t Fool God

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: “What have You done?” —Daniel 4:35 NIV

Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God? Nothing ever catches God by surprise. He is in absolute control over all of His creation. He does whatever pleases Him anytime, anyway, anyhow. Knowing that God is sovereign in His rule is quite comforting if what pleases God is pleasing to us. When our biopsies come back benign, or we get a promotion, or our marriages are sweeter than wine, we delight in the fact that God is pleasing us by what pleases Him. But how do we respond to His sovereignty when the biopsy comes back malignant, or we lose our jobs, or our covenant partner leaves home for someone else? At times like these, it can be very difficult to trust God.

God’s sovereignty can be really scary if we don’t understand the total nature of God. There are three essential truths we must believe (cling to, trust in, rely upon, put your whole weight upon) if we are going to trust God when the bottom falls out. First of all, God is completely sovereign. He is also perfect in His love. And finally, He is infinite in His wisdom.

God is love. We cannot fathom the depths of His love for us as His children. He loved us so much that while we were still sinners, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. He gave us the best. Do you think He’s going to keep the rest? I don’t think so. “If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since God did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t God, Who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:31‑32 NLT). God can never act in any way toward us that is not in accord with His character, and God is perfect love.

God is infinitely wise. He sees the beginning and the end while we are barely able to see the middle. “Only I can tell you what is going to happen even before it happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish” (Isaiah 46:10‑11 NLT). The Lord is too smart to ever make a mistake. He never miscalculates. He never says, “Ooops!” He knows some stuff. He knows what’s best for me… and for you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT). God is orchestrating everything in our lives so that we can fulfill the wonderful destiny He’s planned for us. “You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:6 & 16 NLT). Having penned this marvelous truth, the psalmist exclaimed, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me!” Me, too!

Even if God is perfect in His love and infinitely wise, it won’t do us any good if God does not have the power to pull off His plans. But rest assured, Beloved, He is absolute in His power as well. “Ah, Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV). “I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2 NIV).

Mighty soldier of the Lord, God loves you far too much to do anything that would ultimately hurt or harm you. He does all things for your good and for His glory. He is too wise to ever make a mistake. He knows what’s best even though oftentimes it doesn’t appear that way in this temporal life. And above all, He has the power to bring it all about. Nothing is too difficult for God. Cancer? Broken relationships? Depression? Miscarriage? Finances? Rebellious kids? Sin? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is beyond the scope of God’s love, wisdom and sovereign power. He is great and greatly to be praised!

When are you going to stop fretting and start resting in Him? He’s got everything under His control. He is waiting for you to give up yours.

“Heavenly Father, sometimes I feel like a man lying tensely in a bed waiting for it to collapse. My tenseness will not keep it from falling and will only make the jolt worse when and if it does fall. I am worn out from worrying about things that are beyond my control. I’m finding that control is just an illusion. I don’t have control over anything, but You do. Lord, I’m surrendering to You today. I’m giving up control. I’m going to trust You today no matter what. I agree with the Apostle Paul who said, ‘I know the One in Whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return’ (2 Tim 1:12 NLT). Be it unto me according to Your Word. Amen.”