Millions are waking up this morning to a world in crisis. Our lives have been forever changed as the coronavirus marches from nation-to-nation, leaving devastation in its wake. As economies reel from blow after blow and the death toll rises, thousands cry out with David and say, “Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” (Psalm 55:5 NKJV).
As we strive to protect ourselves, donning masks and distancing ourselves from others, we long for escape. Like David we cry out “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness.” (v. 6)
Unfortunately, we cannot just fly away from this crisis and for those of us under “Stay at Home” orders, we’re already getting too much rest. As far as wandering off to the wilderness is concerned, our state and national parks have been closed, so there’s nowhere to go!
So, where can we turn, when there seems to be no place to turn? There is only one safe place – in the arms of Jesus. When “fearfulness and trembling” come upon us, we, like David, must declare, “As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me.” (Psalm 55:16).
In this time of crisis, “Evening and morning and at noon, I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.” (v. 17). No matter what worries beset you, what trials come your way, or what diseases taint the air you breathe, if you will but “cast your burden on the Lord…He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” (v. 22).
James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” We may have to practice social distancing, but God never does. Run to His arms today. Give Him your worries and fears, and He will give you His peace, a peace “which surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7).
This Sabbath morning, instead of checking the latest news on COVID-19 and getting yourself even more upset, “call upon God,” “pray, and cry aloud.…” Take refuge in Him and “no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:10-11).
You can’t stop this virus from spreading, but you can stop your fear from getting worse. Remember “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1). He declares, “I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (Isaiah 46:4 NIV).
Today, instead of giving into fear, “cast your burden on the Lord”. He’s got this! Rest in His arms today and He will carry you through.
This has been quite a week, not just for our nation, but for the world. With the COVID-19 pandemic invading country after country, carrying with it suffering, death, and economic instability, our world has changed seemingly overnight. Millions have been told to shelter in place, businesses have been forced to close or decrease their hours, and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed and are fast running short on supplies.
The reality of this new normal was driven home to me, when I learned my office hours will be cut, starting this next week, due to the economic downturn. Thankfully, with some tightening of our budget, we’ll be fine, but it made me realize many, facing a similar situation, will not be able to absorb that type of loss and will face the prospect of not being able to pay their bills or put food on the table.
Most unsettling is the fact that this is just the beginning. In the coming weeks and months we are going to see things happen in this nation and the world we never dreamed possible. Thousands may be out of work, hospitals overrun, and store shelves stripped bare. Friends, neighbors and family members may grow sick and thousands may die. This is already starting, but it is going to get worse.
In the face of this impending crisis, how then should we, we who call ourselves Christians, respond? Should we, like so many, “faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world…” (Luke 21:26). Do we huddle in our homes, stock our shelves with toilet paper, and hunker down till the storm blows over?
The answer, of course, is a resounding, “No!” Remember “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Now is the time for us to step up to the plate like never before. Now is time for us, like Esther of old, to put it all on the line for God’s people. We live in a world reeling from this blow. It is time for us to step into the gap and share the love of Jesus with our neighbors and friends, with the suffering and those overcome by grief, for ‘who knows but that [we] have come to [our] position for such a time as this?”
It is time for us to set aside our self-centeredness, our bickering and quarrelling and “share [our] food with the hungry…provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when [we] see the naked, to clothe them, and not turn away from [our] own flesh and blood.” (Isaiah 58:7).
Even though our churches may be shuttered, our work does not end. Though we have to shelter in place, we can still reach out to others through social media and other means. We can still check on our neighbors, share our food with the hungry, and our clothes with the poor.
Too often overlooked in our concern with stopping the spread of this virus, is the mental toll on those forced into isolation due to the need for social distancing. We are going to see a dramatic rise in depression and anxiety and even suicide as people struggle with loneliness and fear. For these a comforting word or small acts of kindness may mean the difference between life and death.
Most importantly, in these uncertain times, when the very foundations of our society are being shaken, we must show people Jesus. We can share what He has done for us and of His love for them, giving His own life that they might live. In this time when so many are starving for just a little good news, we must share the promise of His soon coming.
We have been told we are in a “war” with an unseen enemy, one intent on our destruction. The truth, however, is this is but the latest battle in a conflict which started long ago in heaven. Revelation 12:7-9 tells us, “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”
Ever since that day, Satan has been at war with God, determined to destroy as many of God’s children as he can. Ephesians 6:12 tells us “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Just as we cannot see the coronavirus, we cannot see our true enemy either, but we see the results of his work everyday. Through war, crime, famine and disease, Satan spreads misery and suffering throughout the earth, all the while blaming God for his own destructive work.
Jesus said in Matthew 24:21 in the last days “there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” In fact it will be so bad that “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive…”
But there is Good News! Jesus is coming soon! Matthew 24:29-31 says:
“Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
The war is almost over! This conflict is almost won! “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” (Hebrews 10:36). Until then we have a work to be done and Good News to share.
“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Let us put on “faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” (vs. 8). Let us “encourage one another and build each other up…” (vs. 9)
Brothers and sisters, all around us are the suffering, the hopeless, those overcome with anxiety, “apprehensive of what is coming on the world.” Let us, by our words and actions, daily share with them the love of Jesus that they may too find a reason for hope when the world is turned upside down.
Daily let us “bind up the brokenhearted…proclaim freedom for the captives and release of darkness for the prisoners…comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve.” (Isaiah 61:1-3).
We live in a dark period of earth’s history, where men faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world. But there is hope for Christ’s “light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Today, let us arise and be a light in the darkness, shining brightly in a world lost in darkness and despair. Let us by our words and actions pointing the way out the darkness to a Glorious New Day! May that day come soon, is my prayer!
Yesterday, while waiting for Costco to open, so I could join the mad dash for the last toilet paper rolls, I had to stand forever in a line outside the building, Okay, maybe it wasn’t “forever” (more like 15 minutes), but it felt like it. It was snowy and cold and I was wishing I could be anywhere else. Then, when we finally got in and I grabbed my TP, it took “forever” to check out.
Our human concept of “forever” is somewhat skewed. We talk about waiting “forever” for the light to turn, not seeing a friend in “forever”, or it taking “forever” for water to boil or spring to come. The truth is most of what we call “forever” is a very short time, mere seconds or minutes, or, at the most, days.
Perhaps our fascination with “forever” is because we realize we don’t have forever. Psalm 39:5 says God has “made my days a mere handbreadth;…Everyone is but a breath…” No matter how hard we fight it, we know life is short, that nothing lasts forever.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Some things last forever. Today, March 14, is National Pi Day, the day on which we celebrate a number that lasts forever. Pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter of the circle, is an irrational number. You cannot express it as a fraction and it never ends. It just goes on and on and on and on and…well, you get the idea.
That’s a little bit like God’s love for us. Like pi it just keeps going and going and going. Psalm 103:17 says, “from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him…” That means God loved you before you ever took a breath and He will love you long after you take your last one. He says his love is “an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). Just like God, His love for His children has no beginning and no end. It lasts forever!
In fact, God loves you so much your lifetime isn’t long enough for Him to express all His love for you. That’s why “he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Do you want to know what “forever” is really like? Believe in God’s Son!
So, this coming week, when you’ve been standing in line “forever” or it feels like spring will never come, remember two things – #1, Life is short, so enjoy every moment and, #2, like Pi, God’s love for you will never end. Give Him your heart today and learn what it’s like to really be loved – Forever!
This week we welcomed 24 new members to our family. Yes, that seems like a lot, but when they’re each only about 1-½ inches tall they don’t take up much space! They do make an awful lot of noise, however!
Now, don’t worry. We didn’t go and adopt an orphanage or something. Ana just decided it was time to refresh her flock, so now we have a couple dozen soft, cuddly, baby chicks in a large box in our spare bedroom.
One thing I’ve noticed about these little bundles of feathers is they stick together. They get as close as they can to each other when they’re feeling cold or they’re frightened. They eat together, sleep together, and they are constantly talking to each other.
The chicks remind me a lot of Luke’s description of the early Christian church. Acts 2:44 says, “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” They prayed together, shared with each other, and “ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”
It didn’t matter what their social status, how much money they had, or what other differences they had. What mattered was what they had in common – a deep love for God and the determination to share Jesus with the world. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (v. 47).
If we want to see our churches grow, for God to start adding to our “number daily those who are being saved”, then it’s time for us to start acting like the chicks in our back room. It’s time for us to put aside our differences and realize we need each other. We need each other’s support, prayers and companionship, because “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
We need to spend less time bickering and more time studying together, eating together, and praying together. We need to remember Jesus promised, “…where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20). I don’t know about you, but wherever Jesus is is exactly where I want to be.
This Sabbath, let’s follow the example of our chicks and the early Christians and gather “together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God.” (Acts 2:46 and 47). Let’s draw together and “Carry each other’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2). Let’s keep each other warm in this cold and lonely world.
Baby chicks know being together is a lot warmer place than being alone. It’s time we learned that lesson too.
