Is God sovereign over everything? If we believe the Bible, we must say, “Yes.”
Furthermore, God’s sovereignty extends not only to the ends but also to the means. As one person put it the other day, God doesn’t make a person go inside like a robot. Instead, He orchestrates the irritating wasp to accomplish His task. Here, we see God’s sovereignty over both the ends (bringing a person inside) and the means (letting the wasp’s flight pattern intercept an otherwise happy gardener).
Where do we see this in the Bible? Donkeys. Let me explain.
In 1 Samuel 9:3, we see donkeys used as a means to get Saul to the place where Samuel could advance him to king: “Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, ‘Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.’”
The story continues: “Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: ‘Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me” 1 Samuel 9:15.
What do we see here? God using the frustration of lost donkeys (means) to move Saul one step closer to his kingly reign (end).
Reflection: We all know the means are not always good and can sometimes be terrible. Take death or betrayal, for instance. Yet we also know that the good in the end, though painstakingly long in coming, far outweighs any awful things we face in getting there. So take a minute to reflect on all the things God used in your life to bring you to where you are right now. Then praise Him for His kindness despite pain, love despite sin, and grace despite weakness.
Amen.
— August 20, 2026