Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4 NIV
God is speaking to the world as a nation about His will, trials of the pandemic, and uncertainty ahead. All that can be seen are barriers (a barrier is something such as a rule, law, or policy that makes it difficult or impossible for something to happen or be achieved) erected around us, impeding our movement. Still, there is a word in all these for the church.
In everything that we are fighting for, the will of the Lord will never be tampered with. We shouldn’t be fighting the world, but rather help establish the will of God. The pandemic happened for a reason that is known or unknown to us. However, the will of the Lord is still with us waiting to be established. Instead of the church fighting the world, let us focus and come together as one in establishing His will on earth.
There is a bond that ties us to the will of the world, but we will not be consumed by it. Although we are in the world, we are not of the world (John 17:14-19; Ephesians 6:12). I see the nature of our will been thrown to the wind blowing storm, but the Lord is saying nothing that the world does will affect His will.
The church has already been saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Revelation 13:8). The Lamb who was killed before the creation of the world (John 17:5, 24; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Genesis 3:21). We are only walking through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4). The storm is not over yet. There are more events ahead of us, but we will not be consumed by them. Darkness is falling on earth, and the world would be in chaos but just for a while. How we come out of this will depend on our faith in God. We should make use of the season we are in now, for we do not know what tomorrow holds. One has to live according to God’s will to survive this storm.
We are the children of God, and He will surely protect us because we have a covenant with him through the Communion of the blood of Jesus and the broken body of Christ. The Communion should be a constant reminder of His covenant with us. This should be a continual reminder to the church in this storm. But the question is, are we able to withstand the wind of this storm?
As the world encamps us in its will, are we able to stand firm in the name of Jesus to survive this trial? All that can be seen is the church trying to survive this storm by their own strength. Where is the faith we have in God? What happened to our belief in God as our provider? Do we believe in God? He is the builder of everything (Hebrews 3:4) and the provider (Genesis 22:14).
There is a rock on which our faith is built upon. Are we losing hope in a time of crisis? This is not who we are and what we believe in. Our God is bigger than our need. We are limiting His power to that of the world. He is the Almighty God, what will we lack in His name? He is a great provider. What is the church lacking that He cannot provide? Have faith in Him. The problem with the church in this storm is that we do not know the God we worship. We are losing our faith in Him. We are losing the basis of our faith in this storm.
Does the church have faith in God to provide?
Do we have faith in Him to build His church?
People are living the effects of this storm. Many have questions as to why God allowed this to happen to His people? There are tough questions out there with no definite answers. The world is in crisis, and the church is bleeding. It is fighting itself to defeat the enemy, but the enemy has already been defeated. As a church, we struggle to stand firm in trials. We declare ourselves failures before the beginning of the test. We do not have the faith to proclaim victory in the field of the Lord. We lose hope quickly at the sight of fear. God will establish His church, as long as it is founded on His Word. We ought to have faith in Him who called us to build a tabernacle for His worship.
The Lord has been speaking to us, and still, we do not hear His voice. He is in this crisis with us and expecting us to be in it with Him. Are we going to claim the lives of peoples or restore them? We are in Christ Jesus, and He is in us. Let us share the sign of hope to the world and bring normality to the church of God. We are wailing amid the storm, but we have Jesus Christ. He restores calmness (Mark 4:35-41). We are in Christ Jesus, let Him live through us, and strengthen our faith in Him. Jesus Christ is our only hope and not the world.
In times like these, churches become vulnerable and move to the camp of the enemy. But the Lord Jesus is with us, as He was at the beginning of creation. Our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who teaches us about love and faith in God (Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 4:30-32).
We are currently fighting a war beyond our strength and understanding. Let us heed to the Word of God and let it carry us over. The word of the Lord is final. He has defeated the world (Revelation 1:18). Do not listen to what the world is saying, but believe in Him whose stripes we are healed.
The church will survive this pandemic, and it will come out more influential in the new normality as never before. Beware of this storm; it will carry away many churches in its path as it blows away.
The pandemic is a storm blowing, and with all storms, it causes damages and carries things along with it in its path. This wind blowing and the damage it is causing will come to an end. We will see all the debris it leaves behind. As with all storms, the aftermath is worse than the storm itself. These effects pose dangerous risks to the church and us. We have to pick up what is left, make something new out of it [the new normal], and move on with life.
We are Christians, and as such this should be our life, making the most of what we have. Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish, offered thanks to God, and blessed them. He later feeds 5000 men out of the bread and fish, and there were 12 basketfuls of broken pieces left over (Matthew 14:13-24). This is the power of God. He makes all things beautiful in His time. He is our provider and diligently multiplies the little that you have to meet your need.
This is the season where our will, God’s will and our faith is tested. There is a message for the church in this storm that we find ourselves in. If only we will listen and heed to His word.
Prayer
God, we thank you for the breath of life, which is precious to man. We appreciate who you are in our lives. We thank you for the blood of Jesus and the body of Christ, the covenant formed with you. Heal our hearts, Father, and guide us in this storm. Amen
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Written by
Eunice Forson
