The Silent Sovereignty of God
That is the subtitle of Cecil May’s new book, Providence. His chosen subtitle packs a powerful message. “Sovereignty” refers to “supreme power or authority.” It means that you have ultimate control over yourself. Each individual, to a degree, is sovereign as we have the power of choice in our own lives. Nations are sovereign in that they have the right to govern themselves and their own affairs. But God is ultimately sovereign in that He controls not only His own affairs but the affairs of the entire world.
The providence of God – observe the root word, provide – refers to God’s supreme power or authority at work in human history. In his introduction, May distinguishes between “general” providence – God’s work in creation – and “special” providence – God’s work in the lives of His human creation. His book focuses on the latter.
God works in His children’s lives, the Bible clearly teaches. Sometimes – at one point – God worked miraculously. But even if He does not work miraculously today, His supreme power and authority are still at work in the lives of His children. We can’t always see it, even in hindsight – a point May is clear to emphasize. You and I both can look back in our lives and say, “It sure seems that God was opening doors for us.” Yet, we do not know what God has in store for us, on an individual basis.
Concurrently with Providence, I have been reading Scott Berg’s biography of Woodrow Wilson. Many conservatives do not like Wilson as he expanded the size and scope of the federal government. Wilson, however, was also one of the most overtly religious presidents we have ever had. Just after his first election to the presidency, before he took office, Wilson was in a conversation with William McCombs. McCombs was a lawyer who had helped Wilson get elected as governor of New Jersey and then as president.
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In this conversation, McCombs was recounting his contributions to Wilson’s election, hoping to receive an appointment in the new administration. Wilson interrupted him, saying, “God ordained that I should be the next president of the United States. Neither you nor any other mortal could have prevented that” (252). It is so easy for us to mistake our views, feelings, hopes, wishes, urges, and impulses for God’s providence.
Wilson had, indeed, won a landslide in the electoral college – 435 electors. But in the popular vote, with the conservative/Republican vote split between W. Howard Taft and Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson lost 7,604,518 to 6,293,454. It was, in fact, the lowest turnout in over seven decades. Was that all ordained of God? Was God speaking through the electoral vote or the popular vote? If we do not have a “thus says the Lord,” we walk on thin ice when we say God intended this or that. Ironically, McCombs later opposed Wilson’s abuse of power.
So – Providence: The Silent Sovereignty of God is recommended. It is a small book, at only 124 pages. It will not take long to read and is also appropriate for Bible class with questions and discussion topics suggested. But if you can grasp the concept of the silent supreme power of God that is at work on your behalf, it will provide a strong foundation beneath your faith that will sustain you all the way to heaven.
–Paul Holland
