The Year of Recovery

I don’t think that at the start of 2020, that anyone imagined that we would still be in a pandemic two years later. Events that were cancelled at the start of 2020, were predicting normality towards the end of the year. I am not sure that many of us alive today have lived through another pandemic. As such, most of us have nothing to compare this to. Perhaps historical chronicles, can tell us how long previous worldwide pandemics lasted. I think that most people have given up on trying to predict when things may return to ‘normal.’

I am not sure if most of us remember what normal is, or if we will ever return to than normal. Some social media influencers have suggested that we are likely to return to a ‘new normal’ instead. Either way, believers must hold in mind that although we are in this world, that we are not of this world (John 17:16). What is happening around the world has some impact on believers. However, being in the world, yet not of this world, means living above the world system. “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

Paul also warned that we set our affection on things above and not on things of this world (Colossians 3:2). We also lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven, where no one can break in and steal (Matthew 6:20). As we are not of this world system, we have an inheritance in heaven. What is permitted to affect others, is not permitted to affect us. We are Ambassadors for God with diplomatic immunity. Our God has promised to restore to us, things lost or stolen. God is able to restore time, finances, relationships, missed opportunities and restore health.

We have the opportunity to harvest during the famine and if we keep our eyes fixed on things above, nothing shall by any means harm us. This is our year to rest and be restored in any area where we have suffered losses. Remember that God never restores to exactly what was before. God is a multiplayer and whatever you lost, you can expect to be restored much more. “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double” (Zechariah 9:12). Start praying into those areas where you have experienced major losses. Ask God for the battle strategy and remember that the faith of a mustard seed can remove a mountain.

“And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all” (1 Samuel 30:8).

A.P.-Y.