Trusting God Our King
Amid changing uncertain times, Pastor Oliver encourages us to go back to Scripture to reflect on who God is.
“God has spoken by his prophets,
Spoken his unchanging word;
Each from age to age proclaiming
God the one, the righteous Lord;
In the world's despair and turmoil
One firm anchor holding fast,
God is on his throne eternal,
He alone the first and last.”
— George Wallace Briggs
I was anxious. I watched with concern when the entire city of Wuhan, China was quarantined. I grieved over the rising number of infections and deaths due to the COVID-19 virus, and I read with apprehension the spread and increasing numbers of infections in other countries, especially in Singapore. I was worried, as I have family members who are vulnerable to infection by COVID-19. It does not help that amid uncertainty and anxiety, there were also misinformation and "fake" news being propagated. So, what was I to do?
One of the things I did was to go back to Scripture and reflect on who our God is. I read in Psalm 103:19, "The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all." The Psalmist tells me that God is King and He rules over all – all of creation, all peoples and all situations. I remember Romans 11:36a, which we studied last year. Paul tells us, "For from him and through him and to him are all things." God is not only the source and sustainer of all things, but all things also submit to His rule.
Lastly, when describing how Christ's return will be based on God's timing, Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:15 that, "He [meaning God] who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords." Our God is the Sovereign King and Lord. And what is God's sovereignty? It is the exercise of His rule over His creation. God exercises His authority and power over all creation as our King (Grudem, 1994).
After reading these Scripture passages, I was reassured. Our God is sovereign over everything, even over the COVID-19 virus. After the initial anxiety, my heart was gradually turned to the truth of who God is. And I begin to trust. I trust the advice from the government authorities, not merely because of their proven track record. Instead, it is because we have a sovereign God who is over all things – even our authorities. I trust that after we have taken the necessary, wise precautions, that God our King is ruling over this COVID-19 situation. I have confidence that all things will work out according to His plan and purposes. For amid changing uncertain times, I can trust in God's unchanging character – He is our Sovereign King who loves us. And He has given us His Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation.
So, keep praying for the COVID-19 situation and those affected. And keep trusting in God our King.