Lockdown: Encamped by the Angels

Lockdown and social distancing are the words most heard. Some people, ironically, do not understand its intended meaning who still crowded the grocery stores. As for me, I’ve been through curfews and shutdown somewhere before in my journey of life.

We’re into the FIFTH day of the 21 days lockdown imposed upon by the Government. By now, it becomes the best measure the world ruler could impose at our end as we stand amused by the cosmic war of the virus spreading like never before. Taking into account the Italian plague in its history of immigration in Rome, the city, it is disastrous.

There is no noise from the stadiums, educational institutions were shut down where active children kept buzzing the whole day. The roads looked deserted in a very crowded city. The air is clear from pollution and there is no noise from the traveling airplane. They were down in their ports.

In the silence of the day and night, it feels like the word ‘holy’ is the only missing term. (Refer to the first coming of Christ – the Nativity Story in Bethlehem) So, the Second Coming seems nearer like never before, as we wait for it!

But for now, we will talk about the angels setting up camps around us; in other words, encamped by the angels:

At home, with our children, we’re trying to keep ourselves busy with online lectures provided by their school. We did some school work, read stories, did some quick quizzes, and engage in board games. Among them, we could contain ourselves the longest in board games.

The number of death and infection cases by the novel coronavirus Covid-19 is still rising in major parts of the world. With our children, we were watching the persons affected by the immediate lockdown in our city. It is heart wrenching; painful to see them suffer.

The stories of innocent sufferings and political blame game of its origin and who is behind the deadly virus spewed more venom among the people after numerous lives were lost. Well try to talk about its possible aftermath on our faith – theist, atheist, no religion, giving upper hand to science, etc. in times to come.

For instance, a daily laborer and his small family from the nearby town were in the middle of the street carrying his toddler on his shoulder. His wife is also seen carrying a few utensils and clothes on her head. They were setting out on foot for some 150 miles.

The news reporters’ queries were met with blunt and short replies – ‘we better walk as far as we can. Not here even if we die but among our kins! Here, I want to talk about the comfort and refuge in the Rock, who can break the rock? The rock of our salvation.

Encamped by the Angels:

In the line of the Psalmist, my father’s prayer always reminded me of the encampment of the angels as we were forced to spent some nights in the wet field during a one-year-long ethnic conflict in my place of birth in my younger days.

When my father specifically mentioned the word, “Let your angel encamped around us tonight as we try to take rest for the day.” Then I sleep peacefully with my imaginary wall of the angels guarding us! It is because we have the privilege of asking God, of what we need, with all our hearts.

Now, let’s read from the Bible, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” Psalms 34: 7. “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the door behind you; hide ourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. (Isaiah 26:20)

King David knows the angels, at the disposal of his God, would encamp him in trouble times if he requested his God. The righteous and the faithful are safe in his hands if they act according to the will of God, by not simply testing their God.

If it is not too harsh a word to gulp down, I would like to make a point here that we would still perish if the pandemic is time for us to meet God face-to-face. So, let us get prepared – Prepare to meet our God. Yet if it doesn’t happen that way, we will have tales to tell our next generation.

Who encamped upon you?

Again, as a human, we can’t have control over the unseen. So, we would put forward our request to our God, in our daily prayers, to let his angels encamp upon us. As a father and a husband who have God, I would pray for the encampment of our house, and especially for my wife who is attending sick patients in the hospital.

The unseen power of God would guard us if we remain faithful to him because he is faithful. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

Having known that we are protected there’s hardly a thing to fear. All things will turn out good as has been planned by the Almighty. The question is: Who is your protector in these times of trouble? Are you saved by the blood of Christ?

Do you put your trust in the Lord for your future and afterlife if, in any case, the plague may take over? The word of God never changes. For some it will be, and it already was, a stairway to heaven.

The faithful will be safe!

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
(Psalms 34;4-20)

Encampment; Let us Not Fear:

While few fake news and/or simple forwarded messages may not affect every single person, there are some vulnerable persons within us. For the orphans, widows, and some who couldn’t be together with their family in this time of trouble, we are praying for you.

I understand we may not find comfort or any word of compassion. But remember the compassionate Christ seeing you, feeling you, today. In these anxious moments, we get panicky. Yet please never forget – He is watching over us! Our world right now is not in good order. And, we do not know what comes next. So, if someone has a special prayer request let us not hesitate to request or let it known to each other.

I am praying for you. And remember many faithful are praying for you right now. Take a moment in silence, you’ll hear them praying for you! Somebody is praying…..

We do not let fear taking over us because we have God! May the angels of the Lord encamps upon us in our isolation, quarantine, and lockdown. Jehovah Rapha!