Grace For The Journey

Many, if not most, of us have been monitoring the situation concerning the spread of the Novel Coronavirus.  As pastor of a local church I have been keeping a close watch on developments.  We have asked our church family and guests to follow the precautions recommended by the medical experts.

At such a time as this, it is natural to be worried and scared.  It is normal to be anxious about our health, as well as the well-being of our loved ones.  As a husband, father of four girls, and a grandfather, I get apprehensive about my family’s health and safety.

We also become fearful because the situation can make us feel helpless and not in control.  Yes . . .

We can be diligent about taking care;

Buhere is so much that

We either do not know of or cannot help.

It is tempting to give in

To discouragement, fear, and anxiety.

Therefore, along with protecting our physical health, we should also reflect on the state of our spiritual health.  Specifically, what is our spiritual response to the coronavirus?  May faith, not fear, fuel the way we respond to the uncertain circumstances!

What should we respond to God’s faithfulness?

1. We can trust God with our worries and anxieties

We can be honest and humble before God.  He knows us; He remains absolutely sovereign; He knows what we are going through.  This is the reason why we can cast our anxieties on Him.  Yes, we can cry out to God in prayer, but we also must keep our hearts fixed on Him.

Not only does God care for us,

But He is also in

Complete control

Of all situations,

Contingencies, and circumstances.

God has not been caught off guard

By this virus outbreak.

The Bible says in Psalm 91:1-2, 5-6, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’… You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.” 

During this time when

We just don’t know

The outcome of what

We are facing,

It is important

To concentrate on

And deepen

Our personal relationship

With the Lord.

In Psalm 27:1, and 4-6 the Psalmist sums up what we need to be doing during this and every crisis, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? … One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.  For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle, I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.”

There are many who are telling us not to be overly worried or afraid.

The greatest way to do that

Is to strengthen and deepen

Your daily relationship with

Your Savior and Lord.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-8, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.  It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

2. We rejoice and hope in Jesus’ victory over death

Remember and rejoice in the truth that our Lord has conquered the grave!  Because of what Jesus has done through His life, death, and resurrection, death has lost its sting.  In Christ, we have the sure hope of glory.  If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.  Thus, we no longer need to fear disease and death.

So, don’t lose sight of God’s great salvation.  If God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?

God has nour trialAnd should God call us to walk through the fire and flood, we can be certain that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Viruses will not have the last word.  In an open letter calling for prayer from Christians around the world, an anonymous Wuhan pastor wrote: “Christ has already given us His peace, but His peace is not to remove us from disaster and death, but rather to have peace in the midst of disaster and death, because Christ has already overcome these things.”

3. We serve others and encourage them to also trust God

Fear, like a virus, can be contagious.  We must avoid fear mongering and spreading fake news that will only stoke further anxiety.  Instead . . .

As God’s people,

Should we not

Hold forth

The Word of life

To a fearful world

With even greater

Clarity and compassion?

We have a responsibility to take wise and necessary precautions to safeguard the health of ourselves and our loved ones.  But let’s also be mindful of our calling . . .

To be salt and light in the world.

Our self-protection should

Not become selfishness.

We should not be reckless,

But we should not be unfaithful either.

We have an opportunity as well as a stewardship from God to be His witnesses in the world, and to be His channels of grace and encouragement to others.

In the 16th century, the German reformer Martin Luther ministered during a time when a deadly plague emerged in his town.  He wrote that those in ministry “must remain steadfast before the peril of death.”  Even as Luther urged his readers not to recklessly expose themselves to danger, he also challenged Christians to take up opportunities to serve Christ.

The Bible tells us in Matthew 25:36-40 that at the last judgment, Jesus will say to His people, “I was sick and you visited Me.”  To which, believers will ask, “When did we see You sick…and visit You?”  And the King will answer, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.”

Let us therefore display the love of Christ by serving and encouraging others, for we can be sure that in the Lord our labor is not in vain.

This is God Word … This is Grace for your Journey …

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”