Authors: John & Kuen Tan from the West End Life-Spring
What is going on in the world today and where are we heading?
Two months ago if someone mentioned that there would be a pandemic caused by an unknown virus called Covid-19, which will bring the world to a lockdown and the worldwide economy crashing down, many would have just brushed it off as impossible or scaremongering.
Why? The world was at the height of an economic boom, the stock markets were at all time high, the housing boom was reaching new heights, unemployment rates was at an all time low. The subject of many conversation was, I made x% or $$$$ on my investments and they are looking so good. I remembered telling many of my friends, be careful and take your profits. Do not be greedy. This euphoria cannot go on as a correction is imminent. I was tempted to follow the herd instinct and make more money, asking myself am I going to miss out on the longest bull run in the market. However, deep inside my spirit, a small voice kept telling me not to follow the world’s greed. The world is discontented and always needs more of everything. There is never enough. However, In Philippines 4:11 Paul tells us to be content in whatever the circumstances.
Psalm 32:7-9 7You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
In January 2020, God through the speaking of tongues at Mississauga Life-spring told the congregation that as we walk in the spirit and seek Him with all of our hearts He will lead us in the way we should go and to learn to see with our spiritual eyes.
During my devotional on April 5, after a day of reading all the worrisome news regarding the pandemic and how it can get transmitted (you must live in space to avoid transmission), God gave me a revelation of His message. He said I will lead you and guide you in the way you should go. Where God leads no harm will befall you. His wisdom is our protection. God will never lead us or guide us into any danger or harm. He led the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the promised land. In Deuteronomy 2:7 He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
When we were on vacation in mid-February Covid-19 was just making the news and we could not have imagined a few weeks later we were in a lockdown. When you are in an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with the sun, the sea and the majestic mountains, the furthest thing from your mind was Covid, let alone being in a lockdown. We got home just before the lockdown, reminding us again of God’s wise and timely leading. He gave us a vacation before the lockdown.
God also demands absolute obedience for Him to lead us. God tested us about 2 weeks ago when one morning, as I was going into Kuen’s bedroom she told me not to enter her bedroom. She was having a bad cough but everything seemed fine until that morning when she raised her hand and said very firmly not to enter her room as her cough had worsened overnight and she had muscle ache and felt increased congestion in her lungs. Being a nurse, she said she experienced a glimpse of what the Covid symptoms are like. She was terrified. She felt the Holy Spirit instructed her to stay in bed all day to pray for people affected by Covid and for the front-line workers, many of whom are her friends. One of them subsequently died from Covid. After a day of resting in bed and praying God healed her. She was a different person the following morning. Kuen has never stayed in bed all day. She loves fresh air and nature. To be cooped up all day in bed was like in prison. Later in the evening during my quiet time, God spoke to me and told me that her obedience to stay in bed all day and pray led to her healing. God sometimes uses little things to teach us about obedience.
We are currently experiencing glimpses of the wilderness experience and God is reminding us not to look to the world for guidance. He will lead and guide us during this lockdown, and He will bring us safely through the pandemic. Verse 8 says “God will counsel us with His loving eye”. We need to learn to experience God in the spirit and use our spiritual eyes to see where God is leading us. The physical eye is often blinded by the world. In verse 9 “Do not be like a horse or a mule who have no understanding” is exactly what the world is doing by panic buying and stocking up on toilet rolls. Contrast that with Deuteronomy 2:7 above where God says, “you have not lacked anything”.
I would encourage us to meditate on Psalm 23 where David talks about God being our shepherd as He leads us beside still waters and refreshes our soul and guides along the right path. Even though we walk through the darkest valley we will fear no evil (no bad thing) for God is with us and He will comfort us. (paraphrase).
If God is leading us and we are obediently following Him, then we do not need to worry about what is going on in the world. God is in total control.