Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Psalm 32:9
Sometimes I explain God’s Sovereignty by saying God is in control. However, God isn’t a controller in the sense that he wants to turn us into puppets. He doesn’t micro manage our days. This verse is telling us God doesn’t treat us like horses whose every movement is controlled by bit and bridle. He wants us to willingly follow him without force or fear of consequences.
Perhaps a better way to think of God’s Sovereignty is to think of God being in charge. Nothing happens without his knowledge, nothing happens that he couldn’t stop and nothing takes him by surprise. This raises the question of why doesn’t God intervene more often than he does and stop violence and suffering? The short answer is that he values our free will so much that he allows many things to take place that also break his heart. He won’t become a Controller who orchestrates every choice people make in order that bad choices are never made. Free will means our choices matter and make a difference in our lives, even if they’re bad choices.
We may wonder how God can ever bring about his purposes if he allows us so much freedom of choice. God wants his children to have and enjoy their preferences. Still, he has a plan for our lives, a calling that will be fulfilling because it’s tailor-made for us if we choose to step into it.
However, if we choose not to follow God’s destiny for us, he has other ways of achieving his plans, but that will be our loss.
