“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:7,8

The Battle for Peace

We started our 21-day national lockdown here in South Africa this week. It’s very quiet this morning. The birds seem unusually loud without any traffic or street noise. There were a few people trying to push the boundaries. I guess it will take a couple days to settle in to the new situation.

I have been through so many different and difficult things during our unexpected journey. I made a list one time—it was very long. But never, ever in my wildest imagination would I have thought of a worldwide pandemic and a national lockdown. It seems like something out of a science fiction movie. The world has truly been turned upside down in a matter of weeks.

I think what we are facing is an attack on our minds as well as our bodies. We must continually choose faith over fear. If I let my mind wander, I begin to get worried—about Floyd, about myself, about my family in various places, about my friends, about All Nations, about my local community, about our nation of South Africa with its vulnerable people living in shacks.

I tell myself that I must not worry—but if even for a few minutes I let down my guard, my mind goes there. Worry and fear will constantly knock at the entryway of our minds if we’re not careful. We have to banish them to the foot of the cross minute by minute.

My trust in God is having to go to deeper and deeper levels each day. My choosing to not let worry or fear enter in is a battle that I am determined not to lose. I am recalling every lesson I have learned on our journey. I am holding tight to His hand as we all walk into an uncertain future.

A friend was reading Floyd’s book “Leading Like Jesus” this week.  She sent me a passage from his chapter on testing. I found it encouraging.

“In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, Paul describes the lessons he learned from the difficult tests he passed through: ‘We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since He’s the God who raises the dead! (The Message).’”

I almost felt like Floyd was speaking to me to remind me to keep looking to God continually. I’m choosing minute by minute to do that. He is faithful and has never failed me!

I am praying daily for God’s goodness, grace, strength, love, and protection for us and for each of you. 

Lord, use this time to draw us closer to You as we are forced to withdraw from normal daily life. Help us make the most of it. Amen.