God is in control...

The end of II Chronicles and start of Ezra in the Bible told of Israel being exiled to Babylon for 70 years. Before that, Israel had been a supreme power, a nation to be feared, a name to be reckoned with. Following the rule of many evil kings who led the people into sin and unfaithfulness to God, Israel finally collapsed as an independent state.
I imagined it must have been the saddest day for the Israelites (and God) when the kingdom of Israel was handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. But that was the most gracious thing God could do for her. To send her into exile was so that she would be spared from destruction by God's wrath and that the land can observe its required sabbath rests.

Throughout these 70 years, Israel was greatly humbled. The Israelites could only cling onto God's promises of making them a great nation and keep hoping that God's mercy would be extended to them soon to deliver them. As they were scattered all over the land, there seemed to be little possibility of them returning back to Jerusalem and becoming a nation of their own.
But all of a sudden, everything changed! News went out that King Cyrus ordered Jews everywhere to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of the God of Israel! What happened? Can this be true? The entire thing happened so quickly it was unbelievable! Israel must have wondered what or who caused King Cyrus to command such a thing. There were no requests made, no wars fought, nothing visible at all that can account for it! It was none other than God Himself! God was the mastermind. He stirred up the heart of King Cyrus to do that. To stir a man's heart is a very powerful thing to do; it is even more powerful to have done it in a king's heart. Though it is beyond most of us, I am sure that it is a very easy thing for God to do, because He is sovereign and in control over ALL things, and ALL men.

At the time of learning this lesson, we were planning a one campus movement overnight prayer meeting involving all our ministries in NTU, NUS and Polytechnics. Part of the program was a prayer walk in the early morning hours and we needed the approval of the university authority in NTU. The odds seemed to be greatly against us, being a religious group, and considering the timing of the prayer walk. We prayed and prepared all that we needed to say before meeting the authority. To our amazement, it only took ONE minute for the officer to say yes! Though we met with obstacles later, the experience taught us the truth of Provers 21:1 "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."

In these days of uncertainties, what do you hold onto as your rock of security? I've heard many fears of retrenchment, family breakdowns and not able to find a job. It's time to focus on the God of the Universe as your fortress of hope and security. he who is sovereign over all is in control of every situation you are facing, may face or have to face! GOD IS IN CONTROL!