YAG II: Book of Deuteronomy – Alina Chan
Focusing on the Sovereignty of God in Life
What is life all about to me? What is it that I see in my own life? If I candidly asked myself these questions, what comes to the forefront of my mind is work and its responsibilities and demands. As a public servant working in the government, work can be demanding and challenging. There are multiple deadlines to meet with the limited time that I have. I see how I can end up getting caught up and focused on meeting deadlines, trying to stay ahead of my work, and ensuring that I get the job done well. Beyond work, another thing that comes to my mind is my own personal life and the struggles and challenges I face in dealing with my own weaknesses and sins. I see how when my mind is filled with work and my own personal struggles, this can lead me to focus on myself and my life.
At YAG II, we have been learning from the book of Deuteronomy and one of the lessons that we learnt is taken from Deuteronomy 32:39, which reads, “Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me”. In this text, we were reminded of the sovereignty of God in life. Pastor Mark challenged us to ask ourselves if we truly see God for who He is in our lives or if we are living a life that focuses on self instead.
The lessons that we have learnt from Deuteronomy 32 has helped me to glean a greater understanding and appreciation of who God is. We learn of how we have a God who is sovereign and powerful. He is also One who judges, and His judgements are according to His own sovereign purpose and plans. Despite His judgements, He is also full of mercy and love. Learning these lessons have helped me to shift back my perspective of life from focusing on myself to how we have a God who is far greater than all the things that we face in life. I learn to see beyond the responsibilities and the physical things in life, and to shift my focus to see God and who He is and how we can be a part of His sovereign plan. I am still learning to appreciate our Almighty God so much more and it is my prayer and desire for God to continually loom larger in my life.