Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

DAILY READING • 271 – 2 John 1; Ezra 5-6; Psalm 93

On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities announced 27 cases of “viral pneumonia of unknown origin”. Doctors in the city of Wuhan found it baffling. At that time, the scale of the global disaster that was about to strike was scarcely imaginable.
On January 11, 2020, China announced the first death in Wuhan. Within days, cases flared across Asia, France and the United States.
By the end of the month, countries were airlifting foreigners out of China. Borders around the world started to close and more than 50 million people living in Wuhan’s province of Hubei were in quarantine.
On February 11, the World Health Organization named the new disease as Covid-19. Four days later, France reported the first confirmed death outside Asia.
As Italy, Spain, France and Britain went into lockdown, WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic.
By mid-April, 3.9 billion people or half of humanity were living under some form of lockdown. From Paris to New York, from Delhi to Lagos, and from London to Buenos Aires, streets fell eerily silent, the all too frequent wail of ambulance sirens, a reminder that death loomed close.
As the horror went global, the race for a vaccine began.

To say that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the world would be an understatement. In less than a year after the virus emerged it upended day-to-day lives across the globe. It changed how people interacted as social distancing guidelines led to a more virtual existence.
Churches, businesses, Schools and other public gatherings were closed causing the world economy to suffer a rough ride. Live sports were cancelled and for the first time in peacetime, the summer Olympics were delayed.
Covid-19, which is arguably the worst pandemic the world has seen in 100 years, has shown how rapidly the world can change overnight.

Indeed life on earth can change dramatically, unexpectedly, in one day.
However, in the midst of global shakeups, collapse of structures and system’s overhaul; one thing will ever remain unchanging – God’s Word.

As the world struggled through the confusion and fears of the months of the pandemic, as believers, God’s Word remained our anchor and solid rock.
And as we held on to God’s promises we have been preserved, and by His mercies we have not been consumed.
Though we may have sometimes passed through the water and the fire, yet God’s Word always prevailed in our lives.
God delivered our soul from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling [Psalm 116:8]

While the world around us was shaking, God became our refuge and strength, and our very present help in trouble.

Reflecting on the past few months, we can indeed see that God has been faithful.
Memory is a catalyst for worship. We need to count our blessings and name them one by one to see what the Lord has done.

Having come to the sixth month of this year, we must be deliberate not to forget the benefits of God that we have seen.

Ps 103:1-2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits”.

Indeed in all things God deserves our thanks. Let us also bless Him for the coming months of bountiful harvest.
Though weeping may have endured for the night, joy has come with the morning.
Though the past months may have seemed like a desolate wilderness, this new month will be like the garden of Eden.

It is indeed our season of flourishing.
It is our season to walk in God’s promises of wonders.

Let us begin to trust God for a bountiful new season. It is time to see beauty for ashes and see every mourning turned into dancing.
Through the Blood of Jesus, it is our time for a forceful turnaround.
As we walk in obedience to God’s Word in this new season, certainly, we shall experience speedy recovery of every loss of the past months and continually walk in miracles, signs and wonders.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to keep my eyes on Your promise of wonders. I know you have so much in store for me this year. Indeed through the power in the Blood of Jesus, my portion shall never elude me in Jesus name.

QUOTE
Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222.