“Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” Jeremiah 10:23
As I read this verse my instinctual response is one of general agreement. Yes, it is God’s prerogative to decide the course of my life’s journey. I have no problem believing this truth. In fact, I find it a comfort.
But sometimes I wish that God would let me plan the everyday aspects of my life. Or, at the very least, I wish that he would consult me before designing my day’s activities. Sometimes I feel as though he must miss some information about the smaller details of my life. I mean, he is just so…..BIG (Jeremiah 10:12-13). How could a being, who dwarfs the very cosmos in size and power, really notice and understand the minutiae of my life? Thus, there are days when I want to metaphorically tug on the hem of his robe (or pants? I mean, in a metaphorical situation, what would God be wearing?) in order to get his attention. Then I’d quickly mention some of those little things that I think have great bearing on my life at the moment.
“God! The boys just got better! They shouldn’t be sick again!” “God, our savings account is already low, this isn’t a good time for my tires to need changing!” “God, I have wicked awful cramps today!! I shouldn’t have to deal with a pounding headache too!” “God, I haven’t had some quiet time with Paul for a week! Is an emergency at the Air Base really necessary right now?!” “God, I promised Paul I’d get this blog post written! Do the boys really need to wake up at 6:30 this morning?!”
The concept of God’s sovereignty, in all its grandeur and immensity, just doesn’t seem appropriate for things like blow-out diapers and lost keys.
Jesus apparently knew that we might think this way. And in Matthew 10:29 he reveals the truly encompassing nature of God’s sovereignty.
He says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”
We might be tempted to brush this statement off as just spiritual hyperbole. But Jesus is being very serious in this passage. He’s describing God’s infinite care, knowledge and supervision—of a bird. A bird. Even we don’t notice birds! But God does. Jesus’s message is this; if God directs the day-to-day activities of the birds, then what is the point of doubting his day-to-day management of my own life. I am worth more to God than the birds. I am his precious child. His plans for me (even those including snotty noses, dinner time disasters, extra-strength Tylenol, and frenetic mornings) are good (Rom 8:28), for my benefit (I Peter 1:6-7), and designed to make me more like Christ (Rom 8:29).
So I trust that my life as a whole and my life today are both in God’s hands. My job is not to offer insight. It is to walk by faith in God’s sovereign control and seek his glory in even the most mundane situations. This is where true faith grows. This is where true faith shines.
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