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COVID-19 Novel Encouragement Sample

COVID-19 Novel Encouragement

DAY 11 OF 60

DON'T STOP!

One night, Paul had a vision, and in it the Lord said, “Don't be afraid to keep on preaching. Don't stop! I am with you, and you won't be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me.” Acts 18:9-10 (CEV) 

It is very common for people to be afraid and to give up in the face of adversity. Paul faced some difficulties at Corinth and he decided to withdraw and focus where he thought there was little danger. But God directed him to a house of a man called Justus who lived next to the synagogue and by divine orchestration, the ruler of the synagogue got saved and that opened the door for many Corinthians to get saved too! God then appeared to Paul in a vision with these encouraging words,

“Don't be afraid to keep on preaching. Don't stop! I am with you, and you won't be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me.”

Imagine the relief that Paul felt. He was afraid, but God told him not to be afraid. He was about to give up on his mission, but God told him to continue and not to stop. He felt alone, but God assured him that He was right there with him. He feared that his life was in danger, but God told him that he wasn't going to be harmed in any way. He thought his efforts were fruitless, but God told him that He had so many people in that place.

God brought us all here in this land for a reason. Sometimes, it's easy to feel discouraged and feel like giving up. BICF (Beijing International Christian Fellowship) recently faced uncertainty with a venue search, but God came through. Now we face another uncertainty with this virus with many wondering how long the current situation will last. God will come through again. One breakthrough unlocked more breakthroughs for Paul at Corinth, and more breakthroughs await us here in China. When all the voices around are whispering fear, the voice of God comes and drowns them and brings assurance that He is in control.

While it is crucial for us to be cautious not to contract the virus, we must not be crippled by fear. This isn't time to stop everything and just lock ourselves at home in fear. The church cannot stop because of the coronavirus, we continue congregating online. We cannot stop shining our light. We cannot stop spreading the love of Jesus. We cannot stop reaching out to those who need us at such a time as this. We cannot stop praying for those who need prayers. We cannot stop encouraging those who feel overwhelmed by the situation. We cannot stop trusting God's intervention. We cannot stop being the church. God is with us and He has so many people in this land. The encouragement which kept Paul going at Corinth is the same encouragement we need to embrace today, here in China. Just don't stop!

Prayer: Pray that the authorities will begin to see the church as a positive influence, that this difficult season will lead to a breakthrough in China.

By Tarisayi Zibanayi Sibanda, Beijing

Scripture

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About this Plan

COVID-19 Novel Encouragement

Novel Encouragement is a 60-day devotional that church leaders from across Beijing and China were led to write during the COVID-19 outbreak, sending it out day by day to the people of the church and beyond. We hope you will also benefit deeply from it as it points you to the Lord as you are experiencing the trials – and opportunities – of the COVID-19 crisis whenever you are.

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We would like to thank Beijing International Christian Fellowship for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: http://www.bicf.org/