Who is regulating affairs on this earth today—God, or the Devil? That God reigns supreme in Heaven is generally conceded; that He does so over this world, is almost universally denied—if not directly, then indirectly. More and more men in their philosophizings and theorizings are relegating God to the background…But who is regulating affairs on this earth today—God or the Devil? Attempt to take a serious and comprehensive view of the world…Sin is rampant; lawlessness abounds; evil men and seducers are waxing “worse and worse” (II Tim 3:13)…After nineteen centuries of Gospel preaching, Christ is still despised and rejected of man. Worse still, He (the Christ of Scripture) is proclaimed and magnified by very few. Despite frantic efforts to attract the crowds, the majority of the churches are being emptied rather than filled…Who is regulating affairs on this earth today—God, or the Devil? What saith the Scriptures? If we believe their plain and positive declarations, no room is left for uncertainty. They affirm again and again that God is on the throne of the universe; that the scepter is in His hands; that He is directing all things “after the counsel of His own will.” A.W. Pink
If we truly believe that God is sovereign over all things, then we must see that all the problems in the world are in His hands. The world appears to have been taken over by sin and more sin. A flood that appears to have come from a large moral sewer is about to cover the earth. It certainly appears that the deniers of Christ and those who preach a false Christ or a moral or historical Christianity are a vast majority in the world today. While this does shake the faith of some, the Bible tells us with great clarity that God works all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). How can it be, people say, that there is so much suffering in the world among animals and among innocent people, even children? How can it be that there is so much immorality that is flooding the world? Is God really on the throne of the universe?
Instead of backing off from that question, this should lead us to reflect on and admire the living God. Romans 1:18-32 is a powerful text to study in this regard. What we learn is that God shows His wrath from heaven “against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” If you care to read deeper in the text of Romans 1, what you see is the unsettling truth that answers many of our questions. God punishes sinners for their sin by turning them over to more sin. Sinners are blinded by their pride and so they think that they are going free, but in fact their sin is punishment for their previous sin. Their present sin will be punished by hardness of heart that will turn them over to more sin.
In light of the previous paragraph, the fact that there is a lot of sin in the world and that this sin appears to be getting worse is no argument against the sovereignty of God, but in fact is an argument for the glory of His holiness, righteousness, justice, and wrath. The world is a theater of and for His glory, but we have to have spiritual eyes to see these things and humbled and broken hearts to praise God for them. Our great and glorious God is not ashamed of His wrath and of His punishments upon sin, but instead calls for His people to worship and Him while He does these things. He is glorious in His wrath as well as His grace and love toward humans.
Psalm 46:7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
We see in verse 8 that the people are called to behold the desolations that God has wrought on the earth. He is exalted among the nations and in the earth, but how? In the text it appears that it comes about by His wrath. In reading Psalm 136 the people sing of praise to the Lord for His great lovingkindness. How is that lovingkindness seen? In the facts that He smote the Egyptians in their firstborn, killed Pharaoh and his army by drowning them, and other events like that. The Israelites praised in song God for those things. Is this to say that we are to make up and sing songs about our enemies being killed now? No, but it is to say that God is sovereign and He is on the throne. As the world is given over to more sin or perhaps if God chooses to bring a great revival, let us know that He is worthy of praise and adoration. We are to live humbly before Him and seek His glory regardless of what goes on around us. We can know that He is sovereign over all and is glorious in all that happens. Let us worship.
God Loves... Himself 
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