Living life in spite of the pandemic.
Transitioning into the new year is God’s gift to us. We thank God for His faithfulness, protection and provision, but what we do during the year is our gift to God. You and I have a choice whether we will allow fear or faith to drive our decision making during 2021.
As I walked in and out of the shopping centres and streets of our city, I could see how people are dutifully complying with the wearing of masts though they are no longer necessary. Are you going to live your life driven by fear or faith?
That is often what happens with fear, especially when you are bombarded with images of viruses on TV. Whenever you condition people’s mind over a period of time to conform to certain ways of behaviour especially to viruses, diseases and death, you will find them complying without the necessary law to implement it.
The media is usually a formidable force that is often used to implement this. You don’t need the police.
You have a choice:
The fear that drives you to God is good - I call it God dependent as opposed to the fear that drives you to dock for cover (I call it the fear that paralyses or the fear that brings torment).
1 John 4:18-19 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 19 “We love Him because He first loved us.”
As you trod the paths of 2021 by God’s design and grace, the only clothes you must not forget to put on are the clothes of “God’s righteousness” and “love”
The children of Israel traveled from Egypt through the miracle of the Red sea to the edge of the promised land. (A place where they could have crossed over into their promised destination).
In fact, throughout their journey the Lord went before them in the day in pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in the pillar of fire to give them light in the night. So as to go by day and night (Ex. 13:21 & 22). God protected them from any plague or pandemic.
This covering of the Lord by day and by night was His banner over them which is “His love” - SOS 2:4.
Moses said to them: Cross over and take possession, but they urged him to send spies to check it out whether what God said was right or not (Deu 1:22).
But in Numbers 13:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 ““Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.””
The mission of the spies was first suggested by the Israelites themselves. See Deut 1:22. Why was this ascribe to the Lord in Num 13:1 as opposed to Deu 1:22. Though the children of Israel pressured Moses and he felt it was a good idea. A good idea is not necessarily a God idea. This is a warning to many of us to always check it out with the Holy Spirit.
God allowed them to follow through in order to expose their folly. We cannot check out what God said is good. This is still the folly of the world today. The end result is for them to bring back those bad reports that created fear and robbed that generation of the promised land for 40years.
● “Fear freezes your promise, but faith unfreezes it” - you have a choice.
As we step into 2021, though it might seem uncertain, it is only for those who are driven by faith that will reach their destination, while those who are driven by fear will find themselves going around in cycles like the children of Israel without accomplishing anything.
Your attitude (walking by faith and putting on love) during 2021, will determine whether you trust God enough to enable you to take possession of His promises concerning you.
Since God has enabled you to transition into this New Year 2021, you must continually make a conscious decision not to allow fear to drive you, but faith.
I have prayed for you that “FAITH” will be the determining factor in your decision making process in 2021 and beyond. Amen.
Finally, Heb 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. NKJV Stay safe, blessed and connected, my friend.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Tony Ojamiren