Newsletter July 2020 Part 2

Restoration

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,

We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

Bring back our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.

Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

When the people of Judah returned from captivity it was a time of celebration and hope.  They had suffered in Babylon and had yearned for 70 years for this return to their home country.  For them it felt like a dream can finally come true and they were ready to praise God for His deliverance.  Their tears had finally turned into laughter, their sorrow into joy.  Surely everything would be different now; surely they would experience the blessing and increase they had been praying for. 

     We too have been sowing in tears as we have not been able to see each other during the lockdown, and many have been affected by the pandemic through illness and loss of loved ones.  We now look to the future with hope as we are about to return to our church building for public worship.  However, things will not be the same.  As in the days of rebuilding Jerusalem, the enemy is still present.  We have to be on our guard as the threat of a new spike in Covid-19 infections persists and there is even talk of a second wave and the possibility of another lockdown.  Like Ezra, Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, we must always remain alert while we celebrate and rebuild.  We must follow strict guidelines while worshipping together. 

     And like Judah in those days, we will face further trials and afflictions.  For them the intertestamental period between the return from captivity and the coming of Jesus was a time of foreign oppression and desecration of their Temple and prohibition of their worship under the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes.  While we may not (yet) face such trials, we can expect that the aftermath of this pandemic will be one of economic hardship and resulting societal issues.  We may well see a rise in crime and social conflict, and the world is increasingly rejecting many of the values we as Christians stand for.  We don’t know the future, but we recognise that the Saviour has come and that He is with us, no matter what may come.

     As we celebrate our return to public worship and rebuild what the enemy has destroyed, let us stay focused on God.  Let us thank Him for seeing us through this time of lockdown.  Let us stand together to confront any forces that try defeat God’s people.  Let us trust that God is able to keep us, no matter what we may come against us.  Jesus promised never to leave nor forsake those who trust in Him.  Through Him we are more than conquerors.  Nothing can separate us from His love!  And let us be ready to receive those who will come to us inquiring about the hope, faith and peace they see reflected in our lives.