Living in Lebanon, and looking at the current situation, I can't help but hold on to this verse, 2 Corinthians 5:7. You see many of my church family here in GoChurch Beirut also endure the same kind of hardship that we live in today. We live in a beautiful country surrounded by corruption, economic collapse and a shortage of all the basic human needs. If we were living by sight, living here at the moment would be nothing short of a nightmare, and let me explain why. At the moment we live in a place where banks have taken hold of people's accounts, limiting them to a certain amount every month, the currency has collapsed which has led to a major increase in food prices and every other basic commodity. The majority of Lebanese people are living in poverty. There is a shortage of fuel, and electricity, and not to mention an explosion that nearly erased half of our capital.
If we were to live by sight, I can tell you that living in Lebanon seems like you are cornered from every angle, but thank God that we live by faith. Thank God for Jesus and his promises. Although we have the chance to pack our bags and leave tomorrow, we know that God has called us to be in GoChurch Beirut, and Lebanon is where we will stay. We hold on to our faith in him, who promised us all provision and paid a heavy price for us to be his children. Despite the current situation, we stick to our faith in Jesus and what God the father has promised for his beloved Lebanon.
He has surrounded us with the best church family anyone can ask for, full of support and love and fellowship. We know that in spite of what we see with our eyes, our faith in him assures us, we will prosper in Lebanon even in this current situation. We personally have witnessed many supernatural miracles in our lives here, God has given us favour and has always been faithful. God has called us here to spread the good news, and that is what we will do, and we hold on to his promises for Lebanon. Even though the news and the majority of people say Lebanon is lost, there is no hope, we hold on to what God says in Isaiah 29:17-18. “Before you know it, Lebanon will be transformed into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field will seem like a forest. In that day the deaf will begin to hear the words that have been written, and out of the darkness and gloom, the eyes of the blind will be opened to see.”
We live in difficult times, and even though our eyes tell us there is no hope, our faith conquers and we speak God's words over this country. His words never return empty, but are always faithful and true.
What about you, are you walking by faith or by sight?