But what if you are afraid? What if all the news reports and restrictions and closures and quarantines are getting to you? What if you feel tempted to let stress and anxiety sneak in?
Our imagination takes over and a Giant looms up to cast darkness and defeat into our mind and imprison us. Fear comes from the enemy. We just want to bury our head and hide.
We might remember as a child reading a story called David and Goliath where an army of armoured soldiers fear doing a battle against the giant but a small unarmoured Shepherd boy who, with no less than a sling and Stones, slays the Giant fearlessly because he stands on his faith of God keeping him safe previously when bears or Lions attacked his flock.
He trusted he would do so again as a result of that and in confidence he succeeds.
His faith was on the power of God not the giant.
The giant to be slain and standing before us right now is yes the Coronavirus but even more our building Fear.
We can focus on what God’s heart is. It is as a good father who loves each and every one of us who gives life and protects it. Who sees the start and the finish.
Fix our eyes on Jesus Who died in our place that we might have eternal life. Who has already defeated the enemy.
We are not waiting on God. Heaven is waiting on us.
What is happening in such a time as this is shaking and shocking us into action and if we focus for a while on what is happening for good right now, the positives, we are seeing love compassion, working for others not the self only, everyone pulling for the same cause and goal, togetherness, gratitude praise and appreciation the sacrifices, the willingness releasing of control people praying and recognising a need for God etc etc.
Let’s open our eyes. The Gospel good news is flashing before our eyes on a screen supposedly reporting on so much of hell. Shift our gaze or change the lens we are viewing through and we see rising out of it there is so much of good and of heaven.
If I were to say Our Lords Prayer, lingering on each line to imagine in my mind, especially visualising these words and glimpses from the last paragraph, my heart would soar, lift to hope and joy. Fear would now be overcome! I am no longer a slave of fear. I am a child of God.
.God is moving closer, something is shifting between heaven and earth. All will be well. We will look back on Coronavirus as a blip which didn’t end the world or our place in it.
Hopefully I’m not being too insensitive or callous if I say ‘Yes,‘ there have been, will be tragedies but they are part of everyone’s role whilst acting on the stage of life on this earth as opposed to heaven.
However, I sense this will open the gates for rebirth to a better world and human race.
This is a time for deepening faith and really believing God is in control. He will Conquer all with love.”
The illustration symbolising the key to victory over the sin and darkness in the world and to our freedom from the bondage and prison each individual may have succumbed to is the release of allowing first of all Jesus into our hearts and then letting Him be released from us to the world.
Two scripture verses that come to mind:
‘ Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom’
2 Cor 3 v17
And who of you can add an hour to your life by worrying …. fear not for tomorrow
Matt 6 v27
Lessisgreater 