Finding Hope in Babylon

There come's a time when things are certainly not working out for us. When everything is on standstill and we think that it is the end of the world. There's is little to be done. With the Coronavirus pandemic being at large, everyone is devastated. The situation in Italy is quite saddening. The economies of superpower countries are gradually crumbling down. One is left to wonder, is there any hope left? Will things be better anytime soon?

Finding hope in Babylon. When Israelites were held captive in Babylon, they still held on to hope. They continued to play their harps and sing praises to the Lord because they knew that God would rescue them from captivity and everything will be well. The Holy Book tells us in Isaiah 40:31, 'but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint'. 

At the moment, we are all in Babylon. Both the rich and the poor, young and the aged, every nation in the universe is in the Babylonian state. A state of fear. State of hopelessness. A state of tears. A state of devastation. But all in all, we should not lose our hope because our God has everything under control. This is just a passing storm. And soon or later, everything will be calm. Remember the story of Job, a man who had found favour in God's eyes because of his righteousness. Calamity struck his home. He lost everything including his children. He also became sick. but not once did he despise God for his state. He held on to hope. And God restored his homestead a double-portion. 

We are all living in fear. We don't know what is in store for us the next day. We are not sure of the numbers that will be reported in tomorrow's news. We are even worried about the economic state of our particular nations. Some of us are hanging on a thread, not sure whether we will be among those who will be dropped should our companies decide to downsize during these tough economic times. There is a lot to worry about. But does our worries solve the situation? They actually leave us in more distress than before.

So instead of worrying, we should pray. Seek God for Him to renew our strength during these trying times. During this havoc, we don't panic. We need hope. As we continue maintaining strict hygiene observations such as washing our hands with soap, observing social distancing and eating healthy meals, we should also take this time to encourage one another. Pray for countries that have been hard hit by the pandemic and also pray for a quick recovery for those who have tested positive. We should also be hopeful that things will be fine and we will all emerge victors. We should find hope in Babylon.