God intervenes in teh hearts of people so that they make decisions and carry out actions that accomplish His purpose for our lives. This is done in such a way that these people make their decisions and carry out their plans by their own free and voluntary choices. We must understand that if God is not sovereign in the decisions and actions of other people as they affect us, then there is a whole major area of our lives where we cannot trust God. We see in the Old Testament how God moved in the life of Cyrus King of Persia to allow the children of Israel to return to the city of Jerusalem and Israel to rebuild the nation. If we do not believe that the God of heaven is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we can be reminded that in 1948 this same God worked in the hearts of the world leaders to allow the Jewish people to return to the land that God has promised to Abraham, back in Genesis 12. We need to understand that as we live and move through our lives, that God is working in the lives and hearts of men and … READ MORE

When considering how God works in the lives of people, there is no better place to turn but the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, accused of rape, put in prison, forgotten by a prisoner who was set free, and then began his rise. He interpreted a dream for the King of Egypt, placed as second in command of all Egypt, and “happened” to meet his brothers as they came to Egypt in search of food. God in His wisdom used these events to shape Joseph into the man he was, and instead of becoming bitter over all the events of his life, he says to his brothers after the death of their father, “I know that you meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” We need to recognize that God has a plan and purpose for all that he allows in our lives, we need to allow Him to work to mold us into his instrument as we wait upon Him to use us as He plans. … READ MORE

In Proverbs 21:1 we are reminded that the king’s word was law, His authority over his realm was unconditional and unrestrained, yet we are reminded that God controls the king’s heart, and he will not do anything that the Lord does not allow. Here we are reminded that God intervenes in the hearts of people so that they make decisions and carry out actions that accomplish God’s purpose for our lives. This is done in such a way that these people make their decisions and carry out their plans by their own free and voluntary choices (cf. book of Habakkuk). We must understand that if God is not sovereign in the decisions and actions of other people as they affect us, then there is a whole major area of our lives where we cannot trust God. What does this mean for us? It means that God uses the decisions and actions of people to accomplish His purposes and that in doing so He has a plan and purpose not only for our lives but the lives of those making decisions that affect us. We must remember that God is moving history toward the coming of Christ’s kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6), and … READ MORE