We are getting closer to the middle of 2020 and the apocalyptic feel that washed through the first quarter of the year seems to be making its exit with the flow of the second quarter… or not? Well, we are hopeful.
When the coronavirus hit, the first thing that amazed me and still amazes me is how fragile the human race is. Our systems are not as strong as we think they are, and in fact, many of our government leaders lack the leadership tenacity we hoped they had; and if the lack of proactiveness we have seen in many countries is truly due to leadership choosing greed over people, then indeed, the heart of man is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).
As the virus began to spread and fear in the hearts of many began to feel palpable on their faces, in their words and in the atmosphere, my mind cast back to one of the many secondary school assemblies that coloured my early teenage years. The teacher who led the chapel service that day described how two artists were each asked to create a painting that portrays peace. One painter painted a picture of a dove flying in the clouds, untroubled, with a lot of serenity. The other artist painted a dove, calm and unperturbed in a thunderstorm. Her question to us - which painting depicts peace?
I would like to think both pictures depict peace but while one reaction is expected, the other is unexpected. One is easy and the other is not, one is predictable and the other is unpredictable. When life is going as we would like it to, when we are happy and have little or no cause to worry, it is very easy to be at peace. But when life becomes chaotic, it is so easy for that peace to dissipate and be replaced with fear… however, it is very much possible to be in the midst of the most chaotic, confusing, stressful life season and still be very much at rest.
I believe that the ability to maintain a posture of peace in our hearts, even in the most unpredictable of situations is directly congruent to how much our eyes are open to know who our God is, how much He has got us and how much authority He has entrusted to us.
In 2 Kings chapter 6, the King of Aram came directly against Elisha mainly because he had continuously prophetically exposed his invasion plans against Israel, thus preventing Aram from subduing Israel. The king wanted Elisha, so he sent troops to capture him. When Elisha’s servant woke up one morning and found out that they were surrounded by an army with chariots and horses, he became fearful. To calm his servant’s fears, Elisha prayed that Gehazi’s eyes would be open. The bible says “his eyes were opened and he saw.” The servant saw that apart from the troops from Aram, they were also surrounded by heavenly armies with chariots of fire.
We live in a physical world that coexists with the spiritual world. Generally, whatever goes down in the spirit realm determines what manifests in our physical world. Elisha’s servant’s spiritual eyes were opened to see that he and his master were surrounded by a heavenly army that was far more powerful than the army from Aram. In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed for the saints in Ephesus, that their eyes would be open:
“…I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength…”
Paul prayed for the enlightening of the eyes of the people, but before praying that their eyes open, he prayed that they would know God, which means that for our eyes to open so that we know who our God is, how much He has got us and how much authority He has bestowed on us, we need to get to know this God. Now, you will agree with me that there are different levels of 'knowing' when it comes to our relationships - we know our family members more than we know our best friends; we know our best friends more than we know our close friends; we know our close friends more than we know our friends; we know our friends more than we know our acquaintances. Maybe the order is a bit different for you, generally, the more time we spend with a person, the more we get to know them; the more we feel secure in their love for us and our love for them; the more we feel protected and secure in their space.
Therefore, the more we spend time with God, the more we get to know him and develop a strong foundation in our relationship with him, the more confident and secure we are in our heart of hearts that He has got us, even in the most turbulent times - calm in the storm, literally!
One of the main ways through which we get to know God is through His Word. Let us have a look at some of the things the Word says regarding our lives and the current situation our world is in:
1. There is nothing new under the sun. While the coronavirus situation seems unprecedented, it really is not. Scientists have brought up some pandemics that hit the earth in past centuries, such as the bubonic plague, the Spanish flu and cholera - some of these outbreaks were brought to an end through the implementation of quarantine; the same method recommended today. Since past pandemics came to an end, we can also trust that this present one will also come to an end. Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV - What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
2. We live in a fallen world and we are bound to face troubles. When man fell in Eden, the earth became corrupt. Sickness and disease are some of the consequences of the fall. So long as we live in this world of sin, imperfections will always surface, injustice will always exist and troubles will always be. Romans 5:12 AMP - Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all people (no one being able to stop it or escape its power), because they all sinned.
3. Jesus has overcome the world for us. The truth is that, because of Jesus’ death on the cross, he conquered death by death and in his freedom, we are free (when we accept him into our lives). So, we have won. We are already in the winning camp and regarding every circumstance we will ever face on this earth, we should operate from a stance of victory. John 16:33 - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
3. We have authority. Jesus gave us the authority we lost at the fall. And to his disciples, he said - “I have given you authority to trample upon snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you”. We are Jesus’ disciples on the earth today, I believe that same scripture applies to us too. Snakes and scorpions can be literal and/or metaphorical. Simply put, we have authority over the pandemic. We generally take authority with the words of our mouth; remember life and death are in the power of the tongue! It really is a sad situation when we act all wimpy in the face of fears instead of acting like sons and daughters of the King. Romans 8:17 NIV - Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We are in the last days…? The last days began at Pentecost when the baptism of the Holy ghost happened in the upper room. Many scholars and Christians believe we are currently in the latter part of the last days and our saviour is very close to coming back for us. To be honest, no one knows the day or the time that Jesus will be back - he will be coming like a thief in the night after all. However, Jesus gave his disciples signs of what the last days will be like, as documented in Luke 21. Seeing as a lot of these signs (wars, uprisings, earthquakes, pestilences; of which coronavirus is one, persecution etc.) continue to happen concurrently and more frequently, our antennae are high and we are eager to sense what times we are currently in. There is nothing wrong with being aware of the times but we must be careful not to get carried away. The awareness is meant to help us prepare so we can maximise the times we are in, especially towards drawing humanity to Christ. Acts 1:11 EASY - The men said to the apostles, ‘You men from Galilee, you should not still be standing here and looking up into the sky. God has taken Jesus into heaven. You saw the way that Jesus went up to heaven. One day, he himself will return in the same way.’
He will never leave us. Jesus promises that he will never leave us and he will not forsake us. He says - “I will be with you, even till the end of the world.” He has given us the HolySpirit who dwells in us - our guide, teacher, comforter and helper. People and governments are worried about post-COVID life, with concerns about a looming recession. One thing we can hold on to is this: During the pandemic and after the pandemic, come what may, in the good, the bad or the ugly, God is with us. Deuteronomy 31:6 AMP - Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble in dread before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.
I hope and pray that this piece brings more calm into your life and whatever circumstance(s) you currently find yourself in. More importantly, I pray that God’s peace that passes all understanding dwells with you now and forevermore.
“Do not be afraid.”
