The Sovereignty of God in Anxiety and Worry
The sovereignty of God is a central theme in addressing anxiety and worry, as it underscores God's absolute control over all things. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, God's sovereignty is defined as "his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure" [3]. This concept is rooted in various biblical passages, including Daniel 4:25, 35, Romans 9:15-23, 1 Timothy 6:15, and Revelation 4:11.
The fear of the Lord, closely related to God's sovereignty, is not a terror born of dread but rather a reverence that acknowledges God's power and majesty. The biblical concept of fearing God is described as "filial reverence" rather than "slavish dread" [2]. This fear is conjoined with love and hope, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 32:6, Hosea 11:1, and Isaiah 1:2.
In times of anxiety and worry, believers are encouraged to sanctify God in their hearts, recognizing His power and control over all circumstances. Calvin notes that "to sanctify the God of armies means to exalt his power highly; so as to remember that he holds the government of the world, and that the beginning and the end of good and evil actions are at his disposal" [5]. This perspective is echoed in Psalm 55:5, where the psalmist expresses fearfulness and trembling, yet ultimately looks to God's sovereignty for comfort.
The biblical narrative emphasizes that God's sovereignty is not limited to grand acts of creation or providence but extends to the details of human life. Job 25:2 states, "Dominion and fear are with him; He maketh peace in his high places" [1]. This understanding of God's sovereignty provides a foundation for trust in the face of uncertainty and worry.
In the view of John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, God's presence in the midst of His people is a powerful antidote to fear and anxiety. Commenting on Zephaniah 3:17, Gill notes that Christ's presence is not just essential and providential but also gracious, providing support, supply, and protection to His people [4].
Sources
- Job “Job 25:2 (ASV) — Dominion and fear are with him; He maketh peace in his high places.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fear of the Lord the — Is in the Old Testament used as a designation of true piety (Prov. 1:7; Job 28:28; Ps. 19:9). It is a fear conjoined with love and hope, and is therefore not a slavish dread, but rather filial reverence. (Comp. Deut. 32:6; Hos. 11:1; Isa. 1:2; 63:16; 64:8.) God is called "the Fear of Isaac" (Gen. 31:42, 53), i.e., the God whom Isaac feared. A holy fear is enjoined also in the New Testament as a preventive of carelessness in religion, and as an incentive to penitence (Matt. 10:28; 2 Cor. 5:11; 7:1; Phil. 2:12; Eph. 5:21; Heb. 12:28, 29).”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sovereignty — Of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11).”
- Zephaniah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Zephaniah 3:17: The Lord thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty Every word carries in it something very encouraging to the church and people of God; and is an antidote against those fears and faintings they are subject to; Christ "is in the midst of" them; near at hand to support and supply them, to assist and strengthen them, to protect and defend them; he is not only near by his essential presence, which is everywhere; and by his providential presence, which is concerned with all his creatures; but by his gracious presence, peculiar to his church and people; and which gives th”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 14.21: immoderate alarm is, that wretched men do not raise their eyes and minds to heaven. The Prophet now, therefore, proposes a suitable remedy for allaying terrors, that they who dread the evils which threaten them may learn to give to God the honor due to him. To sanctify the God of armies means to exalt his power highly; so as to remember that he holds the government of the world, and that the beginning and the end of good and evil actions are at his disposal. Hence it follows that, in some respects, God is robbed of his holiness, when we do n”