Off & Running!
The year is off and running! I blinked and February came. Amazing! How was January for you? For me, it sped by so fast. I am grateful to God for life and for the prospects this year holds. Yes, I know a lot happened in January and COVID-19 raged in Lagos. We must not be distracted. That virus stole 2020 from us. We must not allow it do the same for 2021. So, no matter what happens, we must keep moving, keep forging forward. There are mountains to climb and territories to take. Time is not waiting, and this period will not be paused because of difficult circumstances.
Many sermons I’ve listened to this year have talked about abiding in Christ, as solving the current crisis all over the world. Indeed, God is our refuge and our hiding place. So, while some nations are once again on lockdown, some others, like Nigeria, are winging it. Maybe we need a lockdown too, given the rate of sickness and death in this second wave, but can we afford it? Not really. Apart from COVID-19, there are many other issues troubling our nation at this time. We are grappling with economic issues, health issues (complications of other diseases not treated because people are afraid to go to hospitals), security issues and political issues. The herdsmen palaver is there, along with the Boko Haram issue and a Federal Government that we can neither see nor hear nor feel. Oh Lord!
I love Nigeria. I always have and never thought the time would come that I would feel I should live elsewhere. I don’t know how to describe the way I feel about Nigeria right now. I have been feeling this way for a few months now. I look at the young people fleeing to Canada and other countries, and I can’t blame them. They have their entire lives ahead of them. If they can move to ensure they have better chances at life, why not? I hope, though, that they have sought the face of God to be sure that is the place for them. Like I tell my young daughter, every nation has its own problems and issues, there is no perfect place. But some places are better than others.
Nigeria has always been an interesting place to live. We are a happy people (at least, we used to be). And very resilient. In recent times, we have had incidences of suicide, something that was alien to Nigeria a decade ago. Now, mental health is a big issue, cutting across all age groups. Nigerians have a lot to contend with. Nowadays, I try not to think deeply about the country and everything going on. I hardly listen to the news. Why? To protect my heart. Truth is, I really can’t handle all of that now. So, I have chosen to go to my hiding place and hide there. For a while.
Psalm 32 verse 7 says, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance”
I know the ideal thing is to stand up and confront the issue, as much as I can. But I need to be strong enough first. So my retreat into my hiding place is to get strength from God, to stand. Strength to know what to believe and right mental state to maintain in the face of it all. You might think the herdsmen issue is not your problem, but it is yet another trouble brewing in a country that can’t afford it. Little drops of water can become a mighty ocean positively, and negatively too.
My take is that this year, we must be like the Israelites in the time of Nehemiah, holding a sword in one hand and a tool in the other. As we build our portion of the wall, we are ready to fight to defend it, without being caught unaware or unprepared. (Nehemiah 4:14-18) In today’s world, the battle is not physical and our weapons are not worldly. (2 Cor.10:4) The major battle is in our minds, and it is there that we must win the battle first. Hence, the need to abide in the vine.
When we abide in the vine, we draw life-giving nutrients that strengthen and prepare us for battle. When our roots are established deep down in Him, we will not be afraid of drought or heat. Our leaves will be green and we will bear fruit in season. (John15:4-5; Psalm 1). When the Philistines rose against David, the first thing he did was to retreat into his stronghold. The second was to seek God for instructions on what to do. By the time he came out and followed God’s directions, they routed the enemies. (2Sam.5:17-20) This is the time to stay with God, get the instructions, and execute. All three steps are necessary. So, it is not just about prayer, but also execution.
This is our year of execution with instruction, with expectation and with faith. We have God’s assurance that we will pursue, overtake and recover all.
So we move! One down, eleven to go!
