Day by Day, Rest in God’s Promise

What a whirlwind the past few months have been! Looking back at the early part of 2020, we had just come off of the busy Christmas season with fruitful Immanuel’s Child outreaches. Who could have imagined as the end of winter approached that we would all be forced to isolate at home for more than two months due to a global pandemic?

Like many of you across the country, SGA staff had to work remotely as much as possible. But praise be to God, the ministry still went forward and you—our faithful partners—continued to sustain us in your prayers and faithful giving. You helped enable us to launch Christ Over COVID: Much Prayer, Much Power in response to the pandemic and its impacts across the former Soviet Union. You helped evangelical churches reach hundreds of impacted individuals and families with much-needed food, medicines, and hygiene items. The life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, and lost men, women, and children were able to hear about His great love for them.  And God began working in many hearts as only He can do through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Another wonderful thing happened. The SGA family around the world responded to this tragic situation by drawing together in prayer—in keeping with the Word of God and recalling the lifelong motto of our founder Peter Deyneka: Much Prayer, Much Power! Many of you signed up to receive our daily Christ Over COVID email prayer updates, where we shared brief reports from the churches we serve, along with a short devotional and prayer requests. We received regular replies from you telling us how blessed and encouraged you were through these updates, and how you were joining us in fervent prayer. And that gave our hearts great joy day by day.

As I write this, the coronavirus is still active around the world and people are still in great need. It is hard to know when things will get back to “normal.” Yet we cannot live in that expectation. We must take it day by day, serving faithfully and resting in God’s promise . . . Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look around you, for I am your God. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). As long as He enables and provides, we will continue doing what He has called us to do—helping the evangelical churches of the former Soviet Union to reach their people for Christ. Thank you for joining with us in such a great calling!

For our Savior,

Michael Johnson
President