God's Glory in COVID-19

 

      At the beginning of the year, I started a Bible In A Year plan from She Reads Truth where you read a chapter from two Old Testament books and a chapter from two New Testament books each day. I've slacked a little over the past three months, but I have adapted the reading plan to fit where I am now. This morning in my Bible reading, I read Exodus 7, Luke 4, Job 19, and Romans 15. God really caught my attention right off the bat in Exodus 7, when He sends Moses and his brother Aaron to relay the message of the Israelites freedom to Pharaoh. To accomplish His purpose, God sent 10 plagues over the nation of Egypt to get Pharaoh to finally let the Israelites out of slavery.  I think some part of me always wondered why God had Moses and Aaron continue to go back and relay the same message to Pharaoh when the Bible clearly says the Pharaoh's heart was hardened. But today it clicked, and it clicked in a way that shows the same thing happening right now.

     If Pharaoh had let the Israelites go the first time Moses and Aaron delivered the message, all of the praise and glory would have gone to Pharaoh, not God. The Israelites and Egyptians alike would have praised Pharaoh for his kindness and generosity and great mercy. BUT, God intentionally hardened the heart of Pharaoh so that through the great signs and plagues, HIS name would be known throughout His people and the Egyptians. He was getting everyones attention.

     Right now the whole world is under what seems like a plague with this Coronavirus, and something we have to realize as Christians is that nothing happens outside of God's direction. America's heart in a generalized term has been hardened to God. We see this in the big things such as new laws allowing abortion and little things like people being selfish and hoarding necessities like toilet paper while our neighbor suffers. God is trying to get our attention and He is using the Coronavirus to carry out His perfect will.

     The rest of the passages I read this morning in Luke, Job, and Romans are such great supporting passages to this statement that God is in control of the virus and how in the midst of all of it we are to look to Him for our next step. Luke 4 tells the story of Jesus fasting in the wilderness for 40 days before being tempted by the devil. Something super significant about this passage is verse 1 that says "Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness". Before going to battle, Jesus was filled up by The Spirit and took his next steps in accordance with The Spirit. We are in a difficult and uncharted situation for most of us and without being filled up daily by The Spirit through prayer and Bible reading, we are going to be weak and unsure of what to do. Praise God that He has promised to be with us through good times and deep trials.

     Maybe you have been impacted in deeper ways from the self-quarantine and social distancing. Maybe you and your family have been impacted first hand by the virus and are scared for your physical health, maybe your family business is on the verge of shutting down, or you have found yourself to be out of work. All of these are real issues and trials and heartaches our nation and world are dealing with right now. In Job 19, Job is in the thick of intense heartache and suffering. But in the middle of all of that, he says "But I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me" (Job 19:25-27). Heartache is real, suffering is real, but even more than that our Savior and Redeemer is real and He lives! At the end of the day, Jesus Christ is the only one who can save us from this virus, and He is the only one who can save us from our Sins. I pray that each and every one of you reading this would surrender your fears for the future and surrender your life to the One who already holds it in His hands.

     So what can we do moving forward? I believe Paul paints it out for us in Romans 15. Romans 15:1-2 says "Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." Be a good neighbor! Don't live life in fear, projecting actions out of fear and selfishness. If you are able to work and have ample supplies, seek out those who are suffering and be a good neighbor to them. If you are a student and are out of school for the time being, volunteer your time with organizations like the Hardee Help Center or use your social media as a platform to glorify God and make His name known right now. Have children? Write Bible verses in chalk on the sidewalk to share God's love and joy with those who walk by. We can each do our part!

     Lastly, I will leave you with a verse that I pray you will hide in your heart during these scary and difficult times in the world.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13

Love in Christ,