Sovereignty- A Life Apprehended¹

by Gary Rich

reatness in God’s plan is practical. God loves the unfolding of His plan His way and our embrace of it. There is an aspect of how God’s plan unfolds that we should not forget. That aspect is His sovereign choice of giving us a role before we are faced with the opportunity to embrace it. This sovereign element in some cases is all but ignored. God’s will allows us to see His sovereignty initiating a plan with our role in mind. The meeting of Boaz and Ruth, in all its raw grace makes this point.

The sure timing of their meeting and the way Boaz received Ruth makes it possible to see God’s sovereignty at work. Before we go too far down the sovereignty pathway, let us talk about the practical lives of Boaz and Ruth. I do not believe sovereignty to be indiscriminant in its selection for a particular role. We must be made aware of the importance of the day-to-day practical lives of those God selects, in His sovereignty, for particular roles in His purpose. In this case, two people have been brought face to face for practical reasons. Both had personal responsibility to allow them to be where their meeting could happen.

Though their meeting was sovereignly ordained, it was not their motivation for being there that day. Boaz’s motivation for being there was not to look for a wife. Nor did he have in mind taking on more responsibility by becoming a kinsmans redeemer. Ruth’s motivation for being there was to gather enough food for Naomi and herself. Both were to be a blessing in different ways. Nonetheless, to be a blessing, neither one was there for selfish reasons or to take advantage of the situation. Ultimately, their divinely arranged meeting brought about selflessness in both of them. Boaz uses his abundance to bless Ruth and Ruth uses her hard work to bless Naomi.

The plan God has in mind for us all is sovereign: a purpose only God can initiate and put in motion, a sovereign act to provide all that is needed to fulfill His plan. When we use the word sovereign, that, that does not mean that our cooperation is not sought or needed. The plan of God is His responsibility. The embracing of His plan is our responsibility.

The evidence that we have embraced God’s plan is seen in what we practically do each day. People who God has sovereignly planned something for sometime live every day unaware of the sovereign direction their lives are taking. Both these individuals had practical reasons for being where they were. They certainly were not there for selfish reasons such as finding a lifetime mate. There is no way to debate that this was not a sovereignly ordained circumstance in bringing them together.

If there had been no sovereign plan, Boaz would have continued to be the person he was. Ruth without having any idea there was a spiritual future for her, would have continued to care for Naomi. Ruth thought her life commitment was caring for Naomi, but it was indeed leading her forward towards God’s plan. She was willing to accept living without a husband for life, to care for her mother-in-law for life, and be content doing so. The point is that they both were motivated to be who they already were while being unaware of the large picture. God already had a plan for both of them in motion. This is the beauty of Sovereignty: people like Boaz and Ruth continue to do daily very practical things. They are unaware of the larger purpose God has for them.

We can see here with Ruth and Boaz that the plan of God’s call for our lives to be lived in a selfless kind of way, with no demands, requirements, or agendas of our own. Someone involved in a sovereign plan can have circumstances full of trouble and hardships as Ruth’s were. Ruth embraced this unfolding plan. Like Ruth, you will find your life choices w ere made while being unaware that you were embracing a sovereign plan. Before we know we have been chosen for God’s sovereign plan, as Boaz and Ruth, we have already started to choose our pathway in life only to find out our choices are leading us to becoming the person to whom God can entrust the outworking of His plan.

There will be many circumstance, people, and events associated with the outworking of God’s plan: most all of these will seem to be the result of choices we have made. Later, we find out the choices and the things we were involved in were inspired by God’s plan. God’s original choice has already started to affect the course of your life.

What is God’s plan fulfilled? Who is the one that fulfills it? God’s plan fulfilled His way is in essence our choosing a life-style in keeping with a plan God already initiated. The plan of God itself is sovereign. All the people, circumstances, and things included in its fulfillment are sovereign. However, of it is manifested by a selfless, willing desire inspired by sovereignty. The effect God’s plan has had in some lives produce the same kind of heart out of which the original plan flows. Those people effected were totally unaware they were being fitted for a great purpose that would advance the Kingdom in a great way.

¹ Excerpt taken from, Gary Rich, From a Hedge to a Crown, Chapter 5.