Dear Editor, four hundred and thirty (430) years Israel lived in a land of bondage, slavery and captivity under the vice of King Pharaoh of Egypt until God sent a mighty deliverer by the name of Moses.

He promised them wealth and prosperity in the land of Canaan, a journey which could only have taken them 11 days to reach and yet took them 40 years.

“There are eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-Barnea” (Deut.1:2). God delayed their arrival in order to teach them one basic lesson to counter and combat their unbelief and lack of faith in God. It took them 40 years to learn but one lesson, that, “Man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Deut. 8:3, Mat. 4:4). They murmured and complained for the lack of water and meat, Moses performed several miracles by the hand of God i) turned bitter to sweet and drinkable water at Marah, ii) struck the rock with his rod not once but twice of which water gushed out, iii) rained manna from heaven to collect for food, iv) sent quails into a valley to kill for meat – ten great miracles of provisions God showed Israel of His ever-presence and ever-supplying God towards them. The people still murmured and complained, caused countless rebellions until God had to separate the unbelief from the faithful. A final attempt in sending 12 elders one from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to spy out the new land of Canaan. Ten spies returned and spread negative and fear mongering reports while only two, Joshua and Caleb, brought back positive reports of easy conquest and promises of wealth and prosperity, “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8,17). Consequently, the remaining older generations possessed with doubts, unbelief and rebellion against God perished in the wilderness saving only but Joshua and Caleb and all populations under 20 years of age (Num. 14).

The Cook Islands have come through 134 years of our colonial history since 1888, but fully annexed under British Protectorate 6/9/1900 – 57 years of our political history since 4/8/1965 and 202 years of our Christian history since 26/10/1821. We finally arrive at an historical and potential juncture of our economic history that we finally allowed three seabed exploration companies licences to do research and exploration expeditions in our very own Cook Islands EEZ Marae Moana. So many diverse reports are surfacing that we do not as yet know enough of what lies down our ocean depths, yet one thing we are certain of is that there is wealth and prosperity sitting at the very depth of our ocean. How can we know unless we go see? One thing we also do know for fact is that the whole economic state of the world is being strangled, crippled and will eventually continue to be paralysed by unpredictable evil forces like the current Covid-19 pandemic, Russian and Ukraine war, hiking oil and fuel prices and causing inflation everywhere.

The United Nations haven’t even succeeded at stopping the world’s major producers of gas emissions affecting climate changes and negative environmental impacts at the highest level, while others are petitioning for a moratorium on seabed mining with the hope and intention to also stop our seabed research and exploration efforts here in our own waters. Ten against only two Elders of Israel gripped by fear, doubt and unbelief drove the older generations to perish in the wilderness while the younger generations of 20 years and under together with their two leaders of faith and trust in their Almighty God made it into the Promised Land and reaped the benefits and blessings God promised them.

Many of our visionary forebears who first saw this from their time have prayed and trusted much for their children to one day under some strong Joshua and Caleb type of leadership to conquer and harvest enormous wealth and prosperity for the survival and benefit of our own country and people amidst the untold chaos and destruction that other ungodly people and nations of the world are bringing upon their own selves.

Let the Cook Islands stand and uphold the faith of our forefathers, curse shall be upon those who do not believe in Him but blessings upon those who trust in the Lord. “Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”. Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ sure can turn stones into bread, the monetary wealth and prosperity that shall come from our very own seabed minerals and nodules can be turned into bread on our tables – if we yield, believe and trust in the Living Bread from heaven, the very Word/Logos of God Jesus Christ. Go grab your blessings or remain a borrower than lender the rest of our days. God bless, prosper and set us head over our own promised inheritance, not a servant no more to others. God bless the Cook Islands.

Bishop Tutai Pere