We live in a fallen world and now, more than at any other time in our lives.
“We serve a faithful God!”
We cannot forget that we serve a God who loves us so much that He gave us His beloved Son. Perhaps this Easter, so unlike any other Easter we have celebrated, we should ask God for opportunities to speak, albeit from a ‘distance’, of His love to those who are overwhelmed by the anxieties brought about through the COVID-19 pandemic. We serve a faithful God!
It is easy to be overwhelmed by what we read, watch and hear through the media. I have found myself searching for some counterbalance from Christian sources. I am praying for God’s miraculous intervention but learning that I have a responsibility too. Two people I admire have challenged me. The first is an evangelist who is now with Jesus, Reinhard Bonnke. He wrote in his book, Faith, about the need for an active faith.
“The point here is that both responses were from people serving the living God; one response was from a perspective of fear and the other from one of faith.”
His exposition of 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath, describes two responses to what was happening. As Goliath blasphemed against the God of Israel, King Saul and all Israel ‘were dismayed and greatly afraid’ (v11) but David said ‘Let no man’s heart fail because of [Goliath]; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine’ (v32). The point here is that both responses were from people serving the living God; one response was from a perspective of fear and the other from one of faith. Whereas the professional soldiers assessed the situation and compared themselves to Goliath and the Philistines, David, a man of active faith, placed Goliath next to Israel’s God and saw a defeated enemy. Bonnke challenges us to fan our faith so that we keep our eyes focused on the Lord and not allow it to be overwhelmed by fear. He wrote, ‘Rather than allowing the challenging circumstances in … life and in the world around you to paralyse and intimidate you, allow them to stoke the fire in your heart …. [and] discover the great resources God has invested into your life and the anointing He has given you.’
The second person who has challenged me is Rod Thompson, who was going to be the speaker at our Christian Education National (CEN) State Conference this July. In a devotion prepared for the CEN community, he speaks of Jesus’ wilderness experience as found in Luke 4. After forty days of fasting, Jesus was emaciated and exhausted. He had been led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan to abandon His Father, who had ‘let Him down’. Jesus’ wilderness experience may have seemed as if God were abandoning Him, but His response was to cling to His Father’s promises: ‘For it is written…’ (vv10,11). And then, in this season we remember the crucifixion! ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ (Matthew 27:46) It was for us so we could have relationship with Him. We must trust God through the extremes of life and remember to pray as Jesus taught: ‘Give us this day our daily bread…’ (Matthew 6:11). God will provide what we need whether these needs are emotional, spiritual or physical.
None of us has ever lived through times like these and the enemy wants us to be discouraged, overwhelmed and depressed. God says He will never leave us and we need to trust Him to turn all things to good for those who love Him. In the Gospels, Jesus often said ‘Fear not!’ to those He ministered to. None of us has ever suffered as Jesus did on that terrible cross.
Ineke Laning – Acting Principal