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Glory · Suffering & God's Will
Yes. God rules over all things as sovereign Lord, working all things after the counsel of His will. Nothing happens outside His knowledge or permission, and even rebellion and evil are pressed into the service of His good purposes.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/is-god-in-control · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Daniel 4:34-35
As you read: Nebuchadnezzar's confession: He does according to His will; none can stay His hand.
34At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation.
35All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stay his hand, or ask him, What are you doing?
Ephesians 1:3-14
As you read: God works all things according to the purpose of His will.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ;
4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love;
5having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
6to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,
7in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him
10to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in him;
11in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;
12to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:
13in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
Acts 2:22-24
As you read: Even the crucifixion was 'by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God.'
22“Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in your midst, even as you yourselves know,
23him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
24whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
Matthew 10:28-31
As you read: Not a sparrow falls apart from your Father, and you are of more value.
28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
29“Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will,
30but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
'He does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stay his hand, or ask him, What are you doing?' The final word in the universe is not chance or fate; it is God's sovereign rule.
“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stay his hand, or ask him, What are you doing?”Daniel 4:34-35
“But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases.”Psalm 115:3
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is none like me; declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;”Isaiah 46:9-10
We were 'foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will.' From Him and through Him and to Him are all things; the whole course of history answers to His purpose.
“in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;”Ephesians 1:11
“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.”Romans 11:36
“The king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires.”Proverbs 21:1
The worst event in history was also the most planned: Jesus was 'delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God,' and 'whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen'; that took place. Evil is real, but it is never outside God's control and is always within His purpose.
“him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;”Acts 2:23
““For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.”Acts 4:27-28
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.”Genesis 50:20
Jesus grounds God's sovereignty in love: 'The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don't be afraid.' Not a sparrow falls apart from your Father, and 'you are of more value than many sparrows.' His control over the universe is exercised with a Father's heart for you.
““Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.”Matthew 10:29-31
“Your eyes saw my body. In your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there were none of them.”Psalm 139:16
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.”Romans 8:28
'All things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.' The sovereignty that can seem frightening becomes our deepest comfort: nothing can finally touch us that is not first passed through the loving, purposeful hand of our Father.
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.”Romans 8:28
“Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it? Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?”Lamentations 3:37-38
“to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ:”Ephesians 1:12