Help is On the Way

• Not only was the world not prepared for a pandemic, we were ill-equipped.
  Some people didn’t know enough about the pandemic, hence didn’t do enough to prepare for it. While some others knew how terrible a pandemic can be but felt it can be tackled on a spot. In a blink of an eye, Covid-19 came on board and spread like wildfire, prompting the world to shut down in order to contain it.

Shutting down the world means that a large percentage of the world population stayed indoors. Social, economic, religious and political activities were significantly curtailed and affected. Social distancing, stay at home, stimulus package, face masks, vaccines and palliative measures became the most used phrases.

Amazingly, Covid 19 took many, especially me, back the memory lane to when Spanish flu ravaged the world. Within weeks of its outbreak, Covid 19 had brought the world to its kneel. So many businesses were closed; unemployment rate increased, companies were no longer profitable and found it difficult to pay staff emoluments. Traders who depended on daily business activities and earnings were helpless; big companies started retrenching and furloughing their staff. Business owners and executives started seeking for loans just to stay afloat. Governments exhausted their emergency fund and sought for internal and external grants, donations and loans. The elderly, indigent and the poor were vulnerable.

The heavy toll the pandemic led to blame games. Distrust and many unanswered questions; some of the most common ones are:

• Why didn’t the epic center of the virus inform the world early about its potential danger?
• Why didn’t we close our borders on time to prevent it from entering our countries?
• Why didn’t we shut our economy on time to curtail the spread?
• The scientists sounded the warning on time, why didn’t our political leaders act promptly?
• Why are most organizations not able to take care of their staff after years of profit making?
• Why can’t the Nigerian government take care of its citizens just for 2 months after decades of oil boom?
• Why do most people not have savings to fall back to in this trying times?
• Why are church leaders not helping their members in this perilous times?
• Why are stimulus package not evenly distributed despite huge donations from corporate organizations and wealthy individuals?
• Why should medical professionals lack personal protective equipment despite huge earmarked Covid-19 relief fund?

In the midst of these anomalies, help became paramount. Many countries, corporate organizations and philanthropists made huge donations and provision of medical supplies to aid the fight of Covid-19. Governments granted tax holidays, free duties on some products, distributed stimulus package to the vulnerable and granted loans to small businesses to stay afloat. Church leadership distributed food items and medical support to those most affected by the pandemic. Neighbours started checking up on one another to render some form of help.
Technology added the icing on the cake as there was swift dissemination of vital safety information, reaching out to loved ones via social media, companies resorted to using technology to conduct daily tasks and meetings, conducting church services online, using drones to supply medical equipment and palliatives to the vulnerable members of the society, engaging students through online learning and using robotics to treat Covid 19 patients to reduce human to human contacts.

However, despite these measures aimed at cushioning the effect of Covid-19 and the resultant shutting down of the world’s economy, it is still not enough. People have lost loved ones to the virus. Companies and traders have lost massive amount of money and business opportunities. Front line medical professionals are shocked and depressed from the large number of deaths daily. People have been denied their freedom of association and movement. Citizens are unhappy with the governments over the distribution of stimulus package and handling of the pandemic. All these have cumulative effect on the emotional, physical and psychological well-being of the world’s population.

The bottom line is that the world’s population needs greater help. Help from above for the healing of the mind, soul and body, assurances that this will end soon and guarantee that there will be a Covid-19 vaccine within weeks.
Your business may have been badly hit, you may have lost family members, your job or forced to accept a pay-cut; you can no longer meet your family’s basic needs, your house and office rents are almost due, you’re being abused by your spouse as a result of the lockdown, your marriage ceremony has been postponed indefinitely or you’re one of the Covid-19 patients. The good news is that help is on the way.

First, you must know and believe that God will prosper you. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11.

Secondly, expect restoration. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. Joel 2:25-27.

Thirdly, develop a creative mindset for birthing unimaginable inventions. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Joel 2:28

Fourthly, God has promised that you’ll build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Jeremiah 29:5-6.

Lastly, God is bringing peace and prosperity to Nigeria and the whole world hence seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7.

Help is definitely on the way folks but don’t forget to stay safe and strictly adhere to the regulatory guidelines for keeping safe in your country. Fear not, the Lord is with you. Just cling to Him to heal you completely.

Written by Richard Agu