God is sovereign over the little things

I believe God is as sovereign over the events in the life of Joseph as He is over the broken shoestring on my tennis shoe. Whenever studying the sovereignty of God one of the issues that seems to always come up is the extent of God's sovereignty.

It may be easier for us to believe God is sovereign over the big things but somehow think that He doesn't get involved in the little details of our life. However I would argue that God is sovereign over the big and the small.
1. Romans 8:28 - (NASB) - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
The translation here by the NASB is so strong for the sovereignty of God in "all" things.
2. Romans 11:36 - For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
The preposition "from" is the word ek in the Greek and it means out from – so out from Him everything originates and grows
And then the preposition "through" is dia in the Greek and means through – it means that all things come to pass through Him and they in fact happen
Finally we have the preposition "to" which is en in the Greek and this means all things come back in Him and now ask for what reason?
To glorify Him forever and ever!
3. Deuteronomy 32:39 – the background for this text is that God is commanding Moses to give this song to the people so that when they go after other gods they will remember who has called them and who they are (My people).
'See now that I, I am He,
And there is no god besides Me;
It is I who put to death and give life.
I have wounded and it is I who heal,
And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.

There is something interesting that takes place here in reference to God's rulership that takes place in a number of other passages.
You might call these "spectrum" texts because in these texts you can see two sides to a spectrum announced and God is in control of both edges. And if He control both ends then it makes sense that He controls everything in between. Such as when we read in Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." It doesn't mean He existed in the first moment and will exist in the last moment but rather He exists from every moment.
So look at the spectrum you can see in this verse:
➢ Death and Life
➢ Wound and Heal
Who would argue with the fact that God is in control of life and that ultimately it is He who does the healing? But notice that He also points out that He is in control of death and wounding. In other words God is letting His people know there is nothing outside of Me and My control.
In other words God is sovereign from your creation in eternity past to your life in eternity future and everything between these two points.

4. Matthew 10:29-30 -"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
There is not a bird anywhere at anytime that does not fall to the ground apart from God's will. God has every hair numbered on every head. All this seems to indicate that
God is sovereign not just over the life of Joseph but over every little detail of our lives as well.

5. Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]. (Amplified Bible)
This verse just reinforces to me that even those little things that seem accidental like the dropping of keys in a parking lot are under the sovereign direction of God.

Here is where I would challenge you about this issue regarding sovereignty over the big and little things in life.
I think it's both/and, not either/or here. God is absolutely sovereign; and we are absolutely responsible. Neither truth should negate the other.
If you can start to build that category then I think it will help as you come and move the principle of sovereignty from the pages of the Bible into the application
for your life.

Finally regarding the sovereignty of God I would concur with Charles Spurgeon who wrote:
I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes – that every particle of spray that dashes against the steamboat has its orbit, as well as the sun in the heavens – that the chaff from the hand of the winnower is steered as the stars in their courses. The creeping of an aphid over the rosebud is as much fixed as the march of the devastating pestilence – the fall of . . . leaves from a poplar is as fully ordained as the tumbling of an avalanche.