It was probably the last week of January or early February 2020 that I met AI (not his real name), the Chinese student in my department. He had just come back from China after the December holiday. The first thing I asked him was, “hope you are not from Wuhan (the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak).” Imagine many people that arrived Africa from China since the beginning of the outbreak and not one single person brought the virus into Africa. The ten reported COVID cases are from people that visited (or from) Italy, France and including a Canadian national visiting Egypt. This has made experts to wonder why coronavirus has yet to establish a grip on Africa. Some have suggested it is because of strong genes, hot climate or just sheer luck. I propose a possible reason. Perhaps God has sent His angels to protect Africa in a special way because He knows we don’t have the infrastructure and resources necessary to contain the outbreak. I remember a story of a pastor visiting United States from Africa. While preaching to the congregation, he said, here you have life insurance, in Africa we have God’s assurance. However, whether you live in Africa or America, you can choose to have God’ assurance. Oswald Chambers, the author of My Utmost For His Highest once wrote “I will not be obsessed with apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s words of assurance. I will be full of courage, like a child who strives to reach the standard his father has set for him.” This week, as the global health emergency continues to spread across the world, let’s remember God’s assurance to us – “I will never leave you nor forsake you” So we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear…’” (Hebrews 13: 5-6).

“To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust Him in the dark – that is faith.” C. H. Spurgeon

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This write up was first published before the lock down in South Africa