We are living in very difficult times, when many people have lost everything. They lost health, family, job, business, house ... There are people who have never been through what they are going through in this pandemic moment, and many are discouraging their faith in the face of so many problems, so many losses and even giving up their own lives.
It is easy to believe in God when everything is going well, when there are no problems, but it is in the difficult moments of life that we most need to use faith so that we can overcome and beat them. We can never lose faith, because faith is the only bridge that connects us to God. If that bridge is broken, we lose our connection with God, that is, we will lose everything, including Salvation itself.
In 1 Samuel 30, we find the report when David returned with his men to Ziklag, and found the city ransacked and burned by the Amalekites, who had taken the women, sons, daughters and everything they had captive. They lost everything and, naturally, in the face of that situation, they felt very distressed, raised their voices and wept, until they had no more strength to cry, because the souls of all the people were in bitterness, but David was strengthened in the Lord his God.
It is natural for human beings to cry when facing certain losses that they may suffer in life, and this is the situation of many people who have lost everything with this pandemic. But it is not normal to live the rest of your life crying, frustrated, depressed by problems. It is necessary to take an attitude of faith to change the situation, otherwise life will never change.
David also wept, but he responded, strengthened himself in God and consulted the Lord. It is useless for a person to believe in God, if he does not take action in his life and let himself be overwhelmed by problems.
For it is in the most difficult times of life that we need to put our faith in action, so that we can turn the situation around, and that is exactly what David did. He was not only a man of faith, but he was a man of attitudes, and that made him a great leader.
Many people in the difficult times of life do exactly the opposite, end up abandoning their faith, letting themselves be overwhelmed by problems, give up the battle and throw in the towel. But in doing so, they will never be able to get up in life. That is why we see many fallen believers, many churchless people, who revolt against God, when they should revolt against the devil. Instead of strengthening in God and consulting the Lord, many will consult wizards, psychics, horoscopes, prophets.
However, we must strengthen ourselves in the Word of God, take attitudes of faith and consult only the Lord, because He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in anguish (Psalm 46.1).
David did not give up. Moved by his faith, he gathered his men and went to fight. Arriving at the camp of the Amalekites:
“Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.” 1 Samuel 30.17-20
We can see that the way David reacted to the problem changed the whole situation. Not only did he recover what he had lost, but he also conquered a great spoil, and there was nothing missing, neither small nor big that he has not recovered. So, it will be with all those who, in the face of all their losses and problems, become stronger in God and put faith into action. There will be no small or big thing, everything that has been lost will be recovered, in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
Bishop, I remember how many difficult times the church went through and the way you reacted to those great problems. We had so many losses in those moments, many people were discouraged from the faith and you, via phone call on the radio program, started to pass faith to the people, to all of us. It was a great fight, but God gave us the victory over our enemies and gave us much more. The decisions we make in the face of problems today are what will define our future. It is not enough to believe in God, to have great faith, if we do not take action.
Bispo Paulo Roberto Guimarães
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