60 day Worship Ban: How to develop David-like Faith in the midst of the Corona Virus Pandemic
By Alex Gahima
Opinion
The house of the Lord is under attack again.
The enemy that comes against the Church and other places of Worship is an evil force that spreads its influence with a quick silent blow. It has managed to instill fear in hearts of global and local leaders, Church and ordinary folk alike.
The Corona Virus Pandemic, which has claimed hundreds of millions of lives and left many others bed ridden is the reason why President Museveni, in his most recent address to the nation said, Churches and other places of worship will remain closed for another 60 days.
The July 30th 2021 televised Presidential address revealed that Ugandans, during the 42day lock down became more aware of the deadly virus and have been doing their best to protect themselves leading to a reduction in daily confirmed cases from 1,735 to an average of 71 per day.
A partial lockdown instituted by the President offered a sigh of relief to Ugandans as transport has been allowed to operate at 50% capacity beginning Monday.
Boda bodas have also been allowed to carry one passenger till 6 pm while sports lovers can now attend outdoor sports events but under strict observance of SOPs.
What about the Churches, Mosques and other Places of Worship?
The church, which is the body of Christ and the Bible which is the word of God has come under attack for the last 2000 years by forces that wish to silence the message that gives human life purpose and meaning but just like the attempts failed back then, they are bound to fail again.
As the church doors remain closed to the public and God’s pulpits gather dust, I cannot help but shudder at the thought, of all the heart ache and pain going on in our communities
The Church has and will always be a place of seeking comfort, relief and spiritual replenishment for people just like you and me.
It might be financial challenges, problems in your marriage, disease in your body, mental anxiety, Alcoholism. The list is endless but to God, nothing is impossible.
The story of David in the bible is one that comes to mind when I think and reflect on the perilous days we are living in and have become accustomed to calling the “new normal“.
The bible book of 1 Samuel, tells us that in the 11th century B.C, Philistine giant Goliath tormented King Saul and the people of Israel.
Worse still, Goliath criticized the Power of the living God and mocked the Israelites for believing in God.
Twice a day for 40 days, morning and evening, Goliath tormented the Israelite army calling for a brave warrior to face him in battle but King Saul and all his soldiers stood in fear and pondered on the appropriate strategy to defeat the insurmountable giant.
Lo and behold, David is a young shepherd and musician said he would fight with the giant everyone in God’s country was so afraid of.
David who was the youngest of eight sons of Jesse was hardly noticed whenever he went to take food to his brother Eliab at the military camp.
The young man who lacked any military training was unsettled in his spirit because each time he visited his brother and fellow countrymen, all he saw and hear was words of fear and despair.
Holy Spirit Filled David takes on Goliath
Bible records indicate in 1 Samuel 16:32 that David said to Saul, “let no man’s heart fail because of the Philistine, your servant will go out and fight him.”
Saul could hardly believe David determination to walk to his own death. I suppose Saul thought to himself, this young man must be the bravest man among us all or he is the craziest and stupidest person alive.
King Saul offers young David his armor and sword but 1 Samuel 16:39-40 says David realized he could not move freely and decided to take them all off, to the amazement of military strategist and King Saul.
He insisted took his staff in one hand, 5 smooth stones and a sling in another hand and went out to meet the giant.
Goliath’s laugh could be heard for miles when David walked up to him, his words slandered God and his people but David, never once allowed to be despised and responded with strength.
“Then David said to the Philistine [Goliath], “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head,” 1 Samuel 16:45-46
If you know the story well, then you know what quickly follows, because when the Philistine came forward to meet David, David quickly ran towards the giant, taking just one stone from his bag and slung it, striking the giant in his forehead.
Despite lacking in Military strategy, David knew that once an enemy is down, you must not step back but instead move in and cut off its head.
Whether you believe in David of the bible or Dawud of the Quran, here are some tips that can help us overcome Goliath like Situations in our lives.
- Prayer: The churches and other places of worship might be closed for the next 60 days but you still have an opportunity to pray and mediate to God.
Ask God to help you recognize that which you need to remove from yourself, like David removes the heavy armor that could not allow him to move freely.
2.Stand firmly in Faith: The forecasts from health experts predict a third wave of the Corona virus, the news predicts an economy decline and so forth but in faith, we do not move by what we see, only by what we believe. Stand firm
3.Be courageous: Do not live in fear because fear weakens the heart and makes you prone to attack. If you have fallen sick, believe that you will recover, if you have lost a job, believe that you will find another one. Do not let fear rule your heart.
4.Be prepared for Battle: We live in a world filled with uncertainty so always be prepared for any outcome. Work on improving your spiritual life by reading and meditating on word of God in order to speak back to the lies of the devil.
- Advance on the Enemy: Do not wait to be cornered by your problems and fears. Move forward in strength and destroy and kill off your fears, addictions and worries and do not allow them back into your life.
The Church is the body of Christ and the Word of God is the breath of life that gives our lives meaning and purpose.
Even when we do not meet as a congregation, check on each other by phone by using social media platforms including whatsup, zoom, YouTube, text message and phone calls because when one part of the body is hurting, the entire body is hurting too.
Stay Safe.
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