We Are Not in Control. God Is.

The country suffered a double whammy – the unexpected political fiasco which was unprecedented, and a tiny virus named COVID-19 that brought the whole world to a standstill, literally. How do we as disciples of Jesus respond in a Christlike manner? Surely no one will blame us for feeling frustrated, anxious or angry. This is the time we will be tested on what we believe about God and His sovereignty. Who we are is often tested, not in good times, but in bad or challenging times. As the saying goes, it can bring the best or the worst out of us.

We read with amusement how supermarkets ran out of toilet paper and other essentials. What is it that drives this herd mentality? Psychologists suggest that it has to do with the need to do whatever it takes to try and get back some control individually over something beyond one’s control. Such a desire would also be reflected in how some are now considering the next wave of migration to other countries for greener pastures.

It is amazing how often God speaks in my simple daily bible reading and devotion about the issues I am facing. No less this time when we are having two national crises at hand, feeling often helpless, yet confident that the future is not determined by men, but by a sovereign God who is in control. How do you hold a healthy tension between being a citizen of this nation and of heaven?

Philippians 3:20–21

“²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

How do we responsibly take all the necessary precautions to prevent infections, which are not a hundred per cent foolproof anyway, and still trust that our lives are in God’s hands? How do we act on certain things and yet trust that God is sovereign in all things? There are no easy answers.

Our call is to be godly and useful citizens wherever He has placed us. We are called as a Body of believers to be salt and light. (Matthew 5:13-16) We are not Malaysians by accident but by a sovereign act of God. (Acts 17:26 “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.”)  While we are here as pilgrims on this earth (Hebrews 11:13; John 17:16; 1 Peter 2:11), we subject ourselves to the governing authorities. (Romans 13:1 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”)

The signs of the end times just before the return of Jesus have been prophesied. (Luke 21:10–11 “¹⁰ Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”) It will get increasingly challenging, unsettling and chaotic, even for the church, as persecutions increase in intensity. Jesus Himself said in Luke 21:17–19; “¹⁷ Everyone will hate you because of me. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ Stand firm, and you will win life.”). Why then are we surprised when all these things happen?

It was in the midst of all these the Lord spoke to me from Luke 9:12-14 “¹² Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” ¹³ He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” ¹⁴ (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.””

We are all familiar with the feeding of the five thousand. There were probably double that number if we are to include the women and children. Because it was in a remote place in the late afternoon, the disciples were concerned about the welfare of the crowd. The sooner they could dismiss the crowd, the better it would be for people to fulfill their basic need for food and lodging. The disciples had done their homework. They had only five loaves and two fish. The strange part of the story was that Jesus instructed them to give the crowd something to eat. He was asking them to do the impossible! It was an impossible sum – five loaves plus two fish were not equal to five thousand men!

Jesus was basically saying to them the obvious – “You cannot.” They had no choice but to look to Jesus and allow Him to take over. Having sat the crowd down so that they were ready to receive their food, Jesus took the small portion of bread and fish, gave thanks to His Heavenly Father, and had the disciples begin distributing them. I can imagine the scene and the increasing amazement in witness of a wonder. It was a miracle on an impossible scale! Not only did they all eat but they were also satisfied, meaning there was more than enough to go around. The disciples even picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces left over.

The Lord put me in the shoes of the disciples. It was an impossible sum and I am definitely not in control of the situation. When we look to Jesus, He will do a miracle only when we surrender the little we have to Him. No wonder Jesus said we only need to have the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains. (Matthew 17:20) It is not our faith that is of concern, but the object of our faith who is Christ. The number ‘five’, represented by the five loaves, symbolizes human weakness and limitation in the light of God’s covenant and grace. Man is insufficient in himself. Adding the two fish to the five loaves gives a total sum of seven which symbolizes the perfection and completeness of God. This story reminds us that we are never sufficient and adequate in ourselves until we surrender everything to Jesus. We can miss the Presence and Provision of God in the limitation of our five loaves and two fish.

What is God saying in our double whammy? We are not in control. God is. Is God turning our eyes to Jesus at this very moment? Are our lives, and the church, shining forth the glory of God in the midst of uncertainties? It is a time to build faith and not fear. It is a time of reflection and examination. It is a time to pray and do what’s right where truth, justice and righteousness are concerned. Are we harnessing this as a discipleship moment for the entire church? We must continue to function (in all acts of compassion, mercy and justice) as always, and more, until He comes again. We are not in control of things in our lives. Only God is. Our hope is in God.