Psalms 92:1-2 “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night” – NIV

One of the covenant commitments of marriage is to uphold love for one another during good times and challenging times. Unfortunately, challenging times have sometimes brought out the worst in some married couples. Rather than become an opportunity to fight the challenges as a team, some married couples have opted to fight each other instead.

As the Covid-19 pandemic ravages the world, one of its casualties has been marriage; as news of domestic violence incidents increase across the world. This is a stark pointer to how the hustles and bustles of life (before Covid-19) have placed a wedge in the form of emotional distance between these married couples. The forced close proximity brought about by the lock-down has brought out the sad reality that some spouses have all along been strangers to each other.

But there is also the good news of marriages whose bond has become stronger, as couples capitalize on this time to perform household chores together, play together and have deeper and more meaningful conversations. Those marriages that thrive through this pandemic are the ones where the couples choose to honour and appreciate each other; and discover new ways of expressing their love for each other.

In a like manner, one powerful way of weathering the storms of life is to love and appreciate your maker through praise and worship, and heartfelt expression of gratitude. Around the year 1885, after being caught in a flash storm that came down with loud claps of thunder and flashes of lightning, Carl Gustav Boberg (a Swedish national) arrived home from church just as the rain was subsiding and a rainbow appeared in the sky. As he opened the window facing the sea, he was inspired by the sights and sounds into writing the world famous hymn “HOW GREAT THOU ART”.

Paul and Silas in the bible discovered this same principle in Acts 16:16-40 when they were in prison and in chains. Rather than lament over their plight, they opted to break out in joyous praise to God; and as they did, they were supernaturally freed from their chains by God’s power!

So, during this pandemic, will you let your heart and mind be “locked-down” by the tough realities of the pandemic, or will you arise and let your heart burst forth in exuberant praise for the Almighty God who is much bigger than the pandemic?