Psalm 115:2-3 says: “Why should the nations say, ‘Where now is their God?’ But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” Just like in Israel’s day, there WILL be times in ours when those who do not trust our God will ask: “Where now is their God?” If our God is real, why does He not act? When we are ill, they might ask: “Why doesn’t his God heal him?” And the same with a multitude of other cases. “Why doesn’t their God do anything?”

As difficult as those questions may be — sometimes even for God’s people — the Psalm gives us the answer of the faithful in the next verse: “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” Our solace, our answer, is to be found in the sovereignty of God. Psalm 103:19 declares: “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” God is the sovereign ruler of everything, and He has His own reasons for what He does or does not do. His reasons are not always according to our liking or understanding, but they are always good and wise and just. Our role as people of faith is to trust Him. When the puzzles of life confound us, we are to trust in the sovereignty of God. Even from the midst of the ash heap of our hurt and lack of understanding, may we be found boldly declaring in faith: “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases!”