#COVID-19: ALL WILL BE WELL BY DENNIS INYANG

We expect a bright tomorrow

All will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow
'All, all is well’
On our Father’s love relying
Jesus every need supplying
In our living, in our dying
All must be well.

That is the third stanza of a hymn written by Mary Bowley Peters in 1847. The hymn and especially this stanza was my favorite in my high school days. I could feel the energy in the hall and the surge of hope in every heart whenever we sang it. It always thrilled me that faith can sing through days of sorrow, ‘all, all is well’. I still feel the same emotions when I sing it today. The writer, Mary, lived in another era but her hymn could not be more relevant than now.

You will agree with me that these are the days of sorrow. The novel strand of coronavirus nicknamed #Covid-19 which started in Wuhan, China has infected over 1.3 million people globally and taken over 72,000 lives (one month ago, the confirmed cases were about 100,000 with 3,000 recorded deaths). Nigeria now has over 200 confirmed cases and 5 deaths. Perhaps, worse than the virus itself is the fear that the virus will spread and wipe out most of humanity. So nations are on lockdown in a desperate attempt to enforce social distancing and life as we once knew it has almost ground to a halt. With the help of social media, those who see this as precipitous of the reign of the Antichrist are having a field day. They are spinning theories every day and those who buy into them are already preparing for rapture or the great tribulation, depending on what they believe. But amidst the conundrum, I am listening for the voice of faith, that confident but soft voice which declares that no matter what happens, “all, all is well”.

I am reminded of a beautiful story of faith in 2 Kings Chapter 4. A woman who was barren supplied the material needs of a traveling prophet by name Elisha. Out of a depth of gratitude, the Man of God entreated God to bless the woman with a baby. Though the woman rebuffed the prophet in unbelief, mercy prevailed and she had a child. Few years later, the child died. She promptly laid the child on the bed of the guest room she had given to the prophet, saddled an ass and went in search of him to come and restore life to her child. This incredible woman did not mourn and did not cover herself with sackcloth. She told nobody that her child was dead, not even her husband. She had only one answer for anyone who asked her anything: “it is well”. The story ended well because Prophet Elisha followed her home and brought the child back to life.

One day, Jesus was invited by one of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus to come and raise his daughter from death. When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house, he met mourners and sympathizers crying and dramatizing their grief. Rather than join them to cry and lament, He told them that the child was not dead but sleeping. Really? They laughed Him to scorn. Some must have accused the Lord of being callous and inhuman. If He wanted to be popular, all He needed to do was cry with the people. But the path of faith often leads away from the crowd. True faith rises beyond the perils of the moment to behold the splendor and glorious possibilities of the future.

Let me interrogate you a little on faith. If you see faith, would you recognize it? And where would you most likely see faith? Would you see it in the good times or in the bad times? Of what value would faith be in the good times? If everything is going well, what do you need faith for?

In Hebrews 10:38, the writer of Hebrews quotes the Old Testament scripture from Habakkuk that the just shall live by faith. But you will get the full context of that submission by reading from verse 32. It was against the backdrop of suffering, affliction and deprivation. It is when things are tough that faith is required. Consider our father Abraham. Was it not against the sheer hopelessness of his situation that his faith made sense? If he was potent and Sarah fertile, they would not need faith to conceive. It is in the midst of this pandemic that your faith will be seen.

Your faith will not be seen in your flouting the instruction to stay home or your refusing to adopt basic hygiene of washing your hands as recommended. Firstly, it will be seen in what you say. I think that too many people are talking too much. Your words are a true reflection of your thoughts and your faith. When the children of Israel said they would die in the wilderness, they lost it. #Covid-19 will not kill you so don't talk as if it would. God will satisfy you with long life and show you His salvation. Even if coronavirus is spread by 5G and the roll out has been effected in your city, the Lord is your refuge and your fortress. Therefore, you should not fear.

If you are NOT born again, all this talk about the world coming to an end should bother you enough for you to give your life to Christ. But if you are born again and your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, you should not lose sleep over it. I think it is ridiculous for anyone to pray against the coming of the Antichrist. That is useless prayer. The prayer of the church will not stop the revelation of the man of sin. When the time is ripe in God’s prophetic agenda, the world will be made to worship the beast except those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life from before the foundation of the earth. If you are scared about the world coming to an end, there is something definitely wrong with your faith.

Finally, let me assure you that this 

pandemic and global lockdown will soon be over. Don’t let yourself forget that, no matter how dire the situation becomes. Hang in there. I know that the media has played up the number of deaths and under-reported the fact that over 280,000 people have recovered from #Covid-19 globally. So, we are not all about to die. Look beyond this present darkness. Expect a bright tomorrow. All will be well.

Bonus: My wife, Aity Dennis, one of Nigeria's most prolific songwriters has just released a suitable song for this season, Victory in Your Name, which will build up your faith in God as your refuge. You will love it! See the link below for a free download:

https://gospotainment.com/music-download-aity-dennis-victory-in-your-name/