Locked-Down But Looked-Up

As the country is on a 21 days lockdown period, many reactions among different kinds of people arise. The poorer section of the society suffers from poverty; jobs were gone, no money, no food, no shelter...Sometimes, what has been going on sounds like, in a bid to save people, people are being killed. To save from an unknown disease, people are dying of known economic disaster. The lockdown is also currently going on in many countries of the world. The earth, for the first time, had her rest from human intervention. Roads were empty, business shut, all men were imprisoned in their homes. Busy buzzing cities turn into ghost towns.  This is perhaps, a wonderful life-time experience. For many who do not know God, they get bored waiting for their release like a caged bird dreaming of being set free one day.

Well, that perhaps is the reality of many, but not for the saints I know of. I have heard of reports globally, and within India in our fellowship that all the saints are just being revived! The lockdown is a knockdown for the soulish and fleshly man, but for the spiritual man, it is a kneel-down time to spend with the Lord in fellowship and in prayer.

The first-hand report I received from the saints in my locality is, the saints are much more revived! During this lockdown period, our church life activity doubled! If not, tripled or more... Not exaggerating, but narrating the fact. I myself, suddenly became very busy, not with official works or family responsibilities, but fellowshipping with the saints online. Daily we have online meetings as the curch, daily I have fellowship with few saints, and almost daily I have group meetings to enjoy with a group of saints. What a blessing in disguise! 

I also heard similar testimonies from the saints in my own locality. The saints are so happy about the lockdown. Of course, positively speaking. They testified that they have never experienced and enjoyed the Lord in this way. Daily from morning till night, morning revival, Bible reading, truths pursuing, church meeting, group meeting,..has been a daily schedule now. As they narrated their testimony to me, I just felt like this is the revival we have been looking for. Not an outward revival of a sudden spur-in-spirit through a revivalist, but a daily moment by moment, one-on-one revival in the spirit! 

The lockdown actually for the saints is a lookup to God. Locked done on earth, yet looked up to heaven. To the saints, this is a glorious time, to the world, it is a gloomy time. To the saints it is a blessing in disguise, to the world it is a curse in dismay. The saints have even wished that the lockdown continues, in a positive sense. God forbid to mean it otherwise. But to the world, they have been waiting for this doomsday to be over soon.

Yes, we are locked down outwardly, but we also looked up to the Lord inwardly and constantly. It may not be wrong to quote this famous verse now in Romans and apply it today:

Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers;