As I begin to write about this year it is difficult to know where to start, how do you write about something that you have never experienced before in your lifetime. However, when things like this happen it is important to record how the hand of the Lord has been on my life during this difficult and different year. While we have been surprised by the turn of events, God was not surprised, nor was He the author of COVID 19 and the trouble it has caused. When at the beginning of the year it became known that the virus was rampant in China little did we understand how people travelling from China could infect the world so quickly? When it affected Australia severe decisions were made and the whole of the country went into lockdown. There was to be no mixing with other people except to buy essential food. I could not attend church anymore or have fellowship with my retired friends every Thursday morning. When this all happened at first it did not seem to affect me, I had just started to write my sixth book “Reflections on God’s way for us to change”. I was so inspired as I wrote the first three chapters but when I came to chapter four “We are changed when we live God’s way “ I hit a brick wall – I could not find any inspiration and because I never lean on my understanding, I rely totally on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it must be a fresh revelation to write. The spirit of the age – hopelessness began to dominate my thinking – I was still daily reading and meditating on the word of God but the daily freshness was missing. About this time my son in Melbourne Bradley asked me to send him the word documents for my writings and he would convert them into ‘Ebooks’ and together with my grandson Benjamin who designed the book covers created a web page and then Bradley told me I had to write a weekly blog to keep the web page active, and writing that weekly blog the Lord has used to inspire me and His freshness has returned. Another thing the Lord has used to inspire me is that when the church started to do weekly podcasts, the only device I could use was my laptop so my son encouraged me to purchase a ‘smart tv’ with voice activation – this has been such a blessing to me. I was led to watch Steven Furtick from Elevation Church and the Lord has used him to impact my spirit through the anointing of his preaching. We have seen the true nature of the god of this world (Satan) manifested so clearly – the lives of countless people have suffered so much pain and uncertainty and so many people have become fearful and many lives lost. He has attacked the church and has tried to stop it from functioning and being effective. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 NLT “I will build my church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it”. Isaiah 59:19 AMP says that” the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against Satan and put him to flight”. I look forward to what the Lord will do in the church despite what is happening in the world for we have such a great future in the Lord. As I have looked back over the year while there have been some unpleasant moments I have experienced the Lord being with me. As the end of the year is upon us there is such an excitement in my spirit for I know that the Lord is building His church in a significant way.
Great read thanks Ian.