When the lockdown first began in Nigeria, there were all sorts of news, stories, and conspiracy theories floating around the internet. Some said—the world was about to come to an end, while others believed that the COVID-19 was a biological weapon, released by those who wanted to either eradicate humanity or reduce the population.
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There were and still all sorts of information out there, that I began to feel overwhelmed. It seemed that there was nowhere to turn to—the conversations happening amongst believers was that of fear; this is the beginning of the end, and that happening amongst the rest, was an ongoing debate of complicated theories that one needed a Ph.D. to unravel.
In that period, I heard a word in my heart—secret place. When I went to research what that meant I came across countless scriptures about God being our refuge; our secret place. He protects and hides us from all evil. As I began to confess those passages of scriptures, I saw that the Bible had a lot to say about conspiracies, and I was blown away! Everything we need is really in the Bible, I said to myself. The more I read the scriptures, the more at peace I felt. You know, if you are ignorant about what God is saying through His Word, you will tend to take on any information you find out there as truth. That is why we need to read the word of God for ourselves, so we don’t get carried away by what people are saying.
The truth is, no one really knows the entirety of what is happening. 1 Corinthians 13:9 confirms this—“we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” We don’t know if this is a disciplinary measure set-up by God, to get our attention because we have been carried away doing our own thing, living our lives like He doesn’t exist. The kidnapping, shootings, stabbings, rape, murders, abuse, hatred, over-sexualized culture; people carrying on like there is no God, could this be His way of setting us straight? I don’t know.
But there are stories in the scripture about God taking disciplinary measures from time to time—Sodom & Gomorrah, the flood during Noah’s time, the Israelites dying from snake bites, and so on. That was God’s way of putting humanity in check after they decided to act like He was blinded to all the atrocities they committed. Is that the case now, again I do not know.
Isaiah 26:20 says—“Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”
We also don’t know if this transmission from animal to human which has put us in the mess we are in right now occurred naturally. We actually don’t know if this is a bio-weapon as many claim; but these are the same group of people (in Nigeria) who claim that the President of Nigeria isn’t really himself and the real President died some time ago. (I was shook when I heard that one). It’s crazy the things people come up with to try and make sense of what is going on. If we are carried away by conspiracy theories, it only breeds fear and anxiety.
What is a conspiracy theory?
Conspiracy theory according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.
How should we react to conspiracy theories?
Do not fear: here is what Isaiah 8:12-13 says—“Do not say “a conspiracy,” concerning all that these people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.”
God does not want us to fear, even if these theories were real. In this passage, He is telling believers how to react to conspiracies. We are not supposed to fear what others are afraid of. The only person we should fear is God; He is the creator of the entire universe, both things seen and unseen. I am reminded of one passage of scripture where Jesus said that we should not fear humans because humans could only kill your physical body. But rather we should fear God who could not only kill you physically but also could cast your soul into hell. (Matthew 10:28).
Realize how big your God is and rest in that: we have to realize how big God is and rest in His abilities. Even if these so-called theories were true, we still have a God who fights all our battles, Whose say is the final. Psalm 31:20 helps quell our fear by reminding us of God’s protection—“you hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man, You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”
Study the word: when you study the Bible, you will find out not only how big God is, but also His ability to foil evil plots. Who remembers the story of the city of Babel? The people had come together to build a city. God saw that the way these people were going, they were going to achieve whatever they set their mind to, whether it was good or evil. So He simply confused the language each person spoke so that they did not understand each other, which in turn put a stop to their building project. Although we may not fully understand why God did that, this story is just to illustrate (for this post) how powerful He is and how He can put an end to plots and plans He did not orchestrate.
“Why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed saying “let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.”
—Psalm 2:1-4
So no matter what the plots, plans, schemes, or theories are, God wants us to be in one position, and that is the position of not being afraid. Jesus faced the same things; do you know how many times they tried to get rid of Him or His ministry? But they couldn’t achieve their plans. God frustrated them and carried out what He had already purposed in His heart.
We just have to trust God that whatever this is, we will come out of it. If this is His way of disciplining the people on earth; He will relent, because He is a merciful God, and His mercies triumphs over judgment if we seek Him for it. If this is the enemy’s way of destroying humans, through the plots of other humans, God will take up the battle, and bring us to a place of peace and healing. Let us keep praying that we get out of this, sooner than later. Whatever the case might be, the One who is for us knows the entirety of the matter and does not want us to fear.
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About The Author: Evi Idoghor is a Christian, writer, and content creator on Letstalknationblog.com. She is a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Consumed by her love for writing and desire to effect change, she launched her online platform––Let’s Talk Nation––to tap into her creativity and start meaningful conversations that would make a difference around the world.
Most of her writing has been influenced by her time spent in America, where she lived for about 11 years. Also, she lived in Nigeria and South Korea and currently loves traveling the world while learning about other fascinating cultures. You can find her on all social media platforms with @eviidoghor.