Sovereignly His

I have been reading the book of Ephesians since last week. Once again I have been completely amazed and overwhelmed by God's Sovereignty in my life. As I read chapter one of Ephesians last week, I was amazed at how God has chosen to bless us in Christ just as He chose us to be adopted children and to be holy and blameless before HIM. And it wasn't an aimless decision either, it was for the "purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace..."(vs 5-6). Now, I am reading chapter two and once again I can see God's great soverignty once again. Even while dead and living in obedience to my sinful nature, God, rich in mercy, loved me and made me alive in HIM through His great grace. That grace wasn't due to any merit of my own, but to show "the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (2:7) Not only that, but I am His workmanship-I am not making myself, but He is making me- created through His Son for doing good works which "God prepared beforehand". He planned it all!!!! So that I would do them!!! I am completely amazed. While I, in my flesh and sinfulness, choose to go my own way, how humbled and grateful I am to know that God is at work in my life, making me into what He wants me to be for the purposes He has for me.
This thought encourages and strengthens me as I journey on this stream of life. There are many branches and rocks that sometimes make my way bumpy and many rageing rapids that often times turn my world upside down. However, because of God's mercy, grace, and love, and in His sovereign plan for my life I know that He is working all things for His glory and praise and that in the end it is working His glory and grace in my life according to His purpose for me. Oh, that I were more eternally minded that the situations of life would dim with these thoughts.
May we live certain that God has a purpose for our lives and certain that we will one day see His glory more clearly than we do today.