God is the “only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15, NKJV), the “only Sovereign … who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:15–16).
He is the only Sovereign Potentate!
The Psalmist worshipped and sang: “Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord. Give praise, you servants of the Lord… For I know that the Lord is great; our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever he pleases in heaven and on earth” (Psalm 135:1-6). “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).
Even the great Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, recognized God’s absolute sovereignty, declaring, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, and he does what he wants with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. There is no one who can block his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’ ” (Daniel 4:34–35).
Indeed, there is only One Superpower. That’s NOT China, or Russia, or the United States of America! “Kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules the nations” (Psalm 22:28). “The Lord, the Most High, is awe-inspiring, a great King over the whole earth” (Psalm 47:2). “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne” (Psalm 47:8). God declares, “At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it”(Jeremiah 18:7).
Although I’m proud to be a citizen of a democratically governed country with free and fair elections, the Bible clearly states that God, the Sovereign Potentate, determines the outcome of every vote. “May the name of God be praised forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to him. He changes the times and seasons; he removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:20–21). “There is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).
Though we prepare, plot, and strategize, God is ultimately the Sovereign Potentate. “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Great king David said, “riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all” (1 Chronicles 29:12).
That He is sovereign seems obvious to the reader of the Biblical creation story. He spoke, and nothing became everything. At His command, mountains and oceans, planets and stars, rivers and waterfalls were formed. That’s sovereignty. Who else could part the Red Sea or feed a multitude with a little boy’s lunch? Who could destroy the walls of Jericho and make blind eyes see? Who can transform a sin-sick soul and set it free to sing? “The Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:3). God is the Sovereign Potentate.
