From this week’s lessons, God’s sovereignty came across very strongly. We saw very clearly from history how God furthers His kingdom through selfish human agenda.
At the synod office and later on at Singapore Bible College, we learnt briefly about how Christianity came to Southeast Asia. In the past, all the Southeast Asian countries except for Thailand were colonized by the European powers. The Spanish colonized Philippines, the Dutch colonized Indonesia, and the British colonized Singapore, among many others.
The first reason for the colonization of many Southeast Asian countries was the precious materials available in these countries, and the European powers wanted to gain ownership of these materials, and thus export these materials back to their home country. Singapore, which, together with Malacca and Indonesia became known as the Straits Settlements, was colonized for its convenient location, and was used as a trading port for the shipping of these materials.
However, even though the Europeans colonized the Southeast Asian countries for trade, with the purpose of bringing prosperity to themselves, Christianity was brought to Southeast Asia because of this act. By establishing governments in the various Southeast Asia countries, these colonial powers provided the infrastructure that facilitated the spread of missions. With their home country’s government being established in the colony, Christian missionaries will thus feel secure to leave their home country and go to these foreign nations.
This was a very impactful testament of the sovereignty of God. Man may rebel against God all they want but through the selfish desires and actions of man, God has and will continue to further His kingdom. Nothing that man do is able to stop him.
This is just a great reminder of the sovereignty and greatness of God, how He has, is, and will continue to be in control of everything. Everything that happens is part of God’s plan. This brought to mind the greatest example of how our sovereign and omniscient God accomplished His plan through the evilness of man. And that greatest example is the gospel.
Man tried to kill the precious son of God because of their refusal to believe in Him, yet it is precisely through the worst execution method in history that God fulfilled the greatest redemptive plan for mankind. When we look back at how everything fit so perfectly into God’s plan, one can only but marvel at the perfect wisdom of our God. Oh, how finite our human comprehension is, and yet, sadly, how infinite our arrogance is. When faced with trials of many kinds, may God grant us the trust in His sovereignty and perfect wisdom.
Elvira Tan
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