We often think of God as sovereign when He created everything in Genesis, but He will also be sovereign when time will reach full flower, as in Revelation, because His purposes for humanity will not be overcome by all the evil forces of the world and the universe. That is what John discovered in his vision of Him when he was on Patmos, and why he bowed in His presence. (See the Sovereign God depicted in The Vision of John on Patmos, woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld [1860]). Chris Tomlin, Martin Chalk, Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin, and Jason Ingram also had some thoughts about His role as “Sovereign”, and how that impacts us today. It really makes a difference in my attitude and outlook to know that He made everything, and that He still is. He’s the I AM and He’s made a way for me. So, the trust that these five songwriters placed in God as they thought about His sovereignty in 2012 was not one that acknowledges Him as mere ruler. Why would anyone trust a ruler who is just powerful? That inspires fear. This Sovereign is also Love.
Chris Tomlin shared in a live performance and with an interviewer what ‘Sovereign’ has meant for him and what it should mean for those who take in the song’s words. The initial inspiration came from Matt, as Chris responded to a journalist’s question about how he and the others came to write about this special king. The first words that Matt shared were captivating, so that Chris and the others were able to build on what Matt had started. Just think about what it means to have Him as Sovereign – that was the essence of what Chris said was so powerful, especially when this name for Him is repeated throughout the lyrics. ‘Get that in your hearts, church’, is a paraphrase of what Chris said he hopes believers ingest as they hear and sing the words. He’s in our greatest accomplishments, but also there in our greatest failures. That makes Him someone who is perpetually available, a God who allows us to express the joyous overflow of thanksgiving for blessings, and who is also there to embrace and comfort us during the lowest points, too. He’s also not absent during the in-between, during tedium and ho-hum moments, Chris said, because He knows from moment-to-moment where you are. That quality of Him makes it possible for you and me to respond to Him on any occasion, and that’s how Chris suggested the song could be most effective. Give searchers, who can admit that they feel something must be missing in life, the opportunity to look inside of themselves and draw closer to Him who can fill that gap, no matter how big or small it is. And, as Chris further emphasized, He’s got more than gap-filling capability – He can do the amazing in anyone’s life, so just let Him do what He does to give you purpose. Your life doesn’t have to wallow in a solitary confinement pit when He’s in the picture.
Chris also said that this Sovereign is not only powerful and compassionate, but also omniscient. He knows everything about me. And yet, He still wants me, even if I’m struggling and don’t know at times if He’s really there and has a plan for me. He doesn’t have to have a team of detectives follow me and discover what’s up with me. He already has the insight into me, because He’s got angels – like messengers or protectors -- to send in my direction. And, there’s all those like-believers that He’s given me for fellowship, advice, and edification. He’s got all the tools, all the people placed in my life, to give me a better handle on life’s challenges, and also so that I can mimic Him in lending fellow mortals a helping hand. It’s called community. It’s all the preparatory work of this Sovereign that has made this available. ‘Mountain air’ and ‘ocean floor’, in the ‘calm’ and the ‘storm’, and during the ’dark(ness)’ and at the ‘dawn’ – His fingerprints are on all of that, as these five songwriters remind us. ‘Trust’ emerges from knowing that crucial fact. His ‘everlasting arms’ don’t get weary; but, He’s not got them folded across His chest, either. Instead, He's stretched them out wide – cross-wide for you and me.
One of the songwriters (Chris Tomlin) shares some thoughts about the song in a live performance at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVpk-QmISRo (watch from 0:35 – 1:45) …and also see this link: https://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/sovereign-chris-tomlin/ for more on the song shared by Chris Tomlin (from 0:15 – 1:50)
See information on the image here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schnorr_von_Carolsfeld_Bibel_in_Bildern_1860_236.png …The author died in 1872, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1931. …found inside this document -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation
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