Why A Virus? Why A
Crown?
With all that the
world is dealing with right now with the Covid-19 virus it seems like we all
need to evaluate our response to the unknown. With the guidelines being set
from the local, state and federal government, we know that many of the advantages
of living in a free society have to be curtailed for the sake and safety of
everyone involved. We are at a place in some respects where the desire for the
world to slow down has taken place. Now we must address how we live in this
time where contact with others is limited and events we participate have been
cancelled till further notice.
While
some people are hopeful and taking things in stride, others are panicking. Some
are using common sense to stock up on supplies while others are going overboard
and buying things based on their fear. For
those sick and dying this virus smacks with reality. For those well and feeling
invincible, this virus may just be a nuisance getting in the way of their daily
routines and earthly pleasures.
The issue
is this, we are all affected by the virus in some way, shape or form and we must
consider how to deal with life when we are powerless and feel out of control.
Maybe
the key is that when it comes to viruses, diseases, sickness and death we need
to remember that as the
result of the original sin, known as the “Fall”, God's perfect
creation here on earth has changed. Therefore, our mortal bodies experience
aging, sickness, disease, and death. Because we all get sick physically and in
many cases spiritually, we must find a way to cope with our fear, suffering
and brokenness.
There are really two ways we can live out
our existence. We can acknowledge that God is in control or that He is not. If He is than this virus is no surprise to Him
and He is using it for some significant eternal purpose. If God is not in control, or for that matter does
not even exist, than everything really has no eternal purpose and we are all wasting
our time thinking that life has any meaning at all.
That
is why I am telling you now to take time to evaluate eternal matters, and take seriously
life and death.
For those who believe in the God of the bible and have given their lives over
to Jesus, there are great promises for them to hang their lives on to. For them,
God’s power, His kingship and Crown, rule over all things even the Covid-19 Corona
Virus. While many feel alone and afraid, those who put their trust in Jesus,
their King, know they are eternally secure and have hope now regardless of the
difficulties going on around them.
The one thing that followers of Jesus can
count on is that they don’t have to walk through life’s physical and spiritual
difficulties, and tragedies, alone. God promises to renew their strength. He
promises that He won’t abandon them in their times of trouble.
Isaiah 40:31 (New
International Version 1984)
but those who hope in the
LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Psalm 46:1 (New
International Version 1984)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present
help in trouble.
Deuteronomy 31:8 (New
International Version)
The LORD himself goes before you and will
be with you; he
will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Matthew 11:28-29 (New
International Version)
Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls.
Along with the troubles Christians or for
that matter anyone faces, we all at some point will have to deal with the
unknown. The unknown we face causes fear,
despair, and even a broken spirit. This
can actually be a positive in the life of a person struggling to gain perspective
and direction because it may cause them to turn back toward God who encompasses
real truth and proper eternal perspective.
It is human nature for us to want to be in
control of our lives. We want to direct our own paths so we can experience what
we think are the ultimate in pleasure and success. However, God has carved out
a path for our lives that has an eternal purpose, and He wants to take the lead
in directing us toward the life and work He has prepared in advance for us to
do. He wants us to experience life with Him, not apart from Him. So, when God
tells us that He has a plan for our lives, we can be assured that it is a good
one and one that will track in a way that fulfills His good purpose. He may
even use a virus to get us to turn back to Him.
Scripture that confirms God's greater plan
for us:
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New
International Version 1984)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the
LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and
a future.
Romans
8:28 (New International Version)
And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose.
Philippians 2:13 (New
International Version)
for it is God who works in you to
will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
This plan includes our salvation:
John
3:16 (TLB)
For God loved the world so much that he
gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.
Because God has given us the freedom to
make choices, we can either seek God’s direction or not. However, trusting
in God has its benefits. For instance God promises to make our
paths straight (Direct our lives in accordance with His will) :
Proverbs 3:5-6 (New
International Version 1984)
Trust in the LORD with all your
heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight
Jesus promises that in Him we can find
peace:
Philippians 4:6-7 (New
International Version)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in
every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
God promises to provide a way out
of temptation:
1 Corinthians 10:13 (New
International Version)
No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Those
are just a few examples of God promises.
There
are many more promises that God makes to those who become followers of Jesus’.
Here is a list followers of Jesus can
embrace:
Love
Wisdom
Courage
Strength
Confidence
Faith
Provision
Grace
Forgiveness
Eternal
life
Peace
Rest
Compassion
Reconciliation
Redemption
The
Holy Spirit
The
Holy Spirit as a sign and seal of our salvation
Inheritance
Maturity
Hope
Perseverance
Comfort
Discipline
Even
with all these promises we must believe God is trustworthy:
Numbers 23:19 (New Living
Translation)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not
human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and
failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
Joshua 23:14 (New
International Version 1984)
“Now I am about to go the way of all
the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one
of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every
promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
So when we put our faith and trust in God,
He will direct our paths and He will fulfill the promise to give us a hope and
a future. The proper perspective on God’s trustworthiness should be; we can
experience joy now, because God has an eternal plan for His children. He has
prepared a place in heaven for those who receive His gift of faith. And for
those who believe in Jesus’ work on the cross, sin is forgiven and they are now
reconciled back to God. The reason why this promise is an eternal hope is
because our physical bodies will breakdown and perish but our spiritual bodies
will be raised and live for all eternity with God. Also, in heaven there
will be no more death and suffering. With this eternal perspective in mind we
can persevere through life even though we are faced with the reality of death,
brokenness and suffering in a fallen world. Remember, this life is not all
there is.
The Bible describes our Future in Heaven:
Revelation 21:4 (New
International Version)
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
It is
important to remember that it is God’s desire that everyone be saved from the
consequences of the eternal effect of unrepentant sin which can separate us
from a Holy God for all eternity.
2 Peter 3:9 (New
International Version 1984)
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God makes this promise to His people:
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (New
International Version 1984)
Then
you will call upon me and
come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I like this version of the same verse as
well:
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (The
Message)
"When you call on me, when you come
and pray to me, I'll listen. "When you come looking for
me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me
and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be
disappointed." God's Decree. "I'll turn things around for
you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove
you"—God's Decree—"bring you home to the place from which
I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.
The above verse assures me that when I
sincerely call on God He will listen. That He has the power to turn my life
around. That He desires to bring me back from my self-imposed separation and
exile resulting from my sinful desire to do life apart from Him.
Even though these promises were initially made for Israel, God’s Word is alive
and active and will speak to us if we have ears that are willing to listen and
take to heart what He is trying to tell us.
Hebrews 4:12 (New
International Version 1984)
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
There are times when I try to impose my own
will and try to carve my own path even though I know God has a better plan for
me. When I struggle with God on this issue I have learned that He will allow me
to suffer the consequences of my decisions to do life apart from Him. He knows
that in my case, this is how I will learn the hard lessons of a life that has
not died to self-interest yet.
God is actually being merciful to me by
allowing me to feel the weight of my own sin because He knows that my spirit
will come to a point of brokenness. At that point, when I am on my knees, God
knows I will turn back to Him in humility and weakness of spirit. God shows me
His amazing grace through His forgiveness of my less than loving actions and
transgressions which affect my relationship with Him. God lovingly redirects my
life. And in my humility and reverence to God who is gracious enough to
continually forgive me, I will submit to His will and surrender my own desires
for His. It is often that after confession and repentance, God will lead me
back on the road to real abundant life. Sometimes He will make me wait
patiently in anticipation of doors being opened based on His timing of events
and the master tapestry He is weaving to complete His perfect
plan.
I have learned that God’s power is made
perfect in my weakness and I need God’s power in my life to be able to live in
abundance in a fallen world. Through God's power and not my own will I truly
live a life that is filled abundant truth, love, joy and eternal
perspective
The truth is, God’s grace is sufficient for
us and His power will work in us when we are at the point when we realize that
we are fearful, weak and broken. We need to get to that point where we realize
our great need for Him to intervene in our circumstances. We need to get to
that place where we are ready to receive what He has to offer. There have been
so many times that I have tried to handle difficult circumstances in my own
strength and through my own limited perspective. Those times have been costly
because I did not handle myself well. I had a tendency to get angry, despair,
and lose hope, causing other people to get hurt in the process. I realize that
I need the discernment, direction, strength, and comfort that only the Holy
Spirit can offer. In order to not revert back to my old self and habits which are
not representative of a man who has set his life apart to God, I need to be
filled with the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit I put on the new self, and
live out being a new creation in Christ.
So how do I cope with fear, despair, suffering
and brokenness?
It is through my faith in God’s promises and the teaching of His Word that I am provided with the confidence that God is in control and has a good plan
for my future. It is with the Holy
Spirit that I can be transformed
and know the steps to take in order to live a life set apart to God. The Holy
Spirit provides me with the strength, guidance, discernment and wisdom I need
to live in abundance. I know that God has promised, the best is yet to come. I
know that Jesus provides the peace I need even when circumstances weigh heavily
on my spirit.
I love that Jesus gives us hope and tells
us the truth about life:
John 16:33 (New
International Version 1984)
“I have told you these things, so
that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So even when I am broken I can be at peace
because God is greater and more powerful than all my problems combined. Jesus
has made it possible for me to be intimately connected to God through the Holy
Spirit. With the Holy Spirit filled in me, I am a different person in attitude
and perspective.
Remember this:
The Holy Spirit provides the strength we
need to get back on our feet; actually to get back on our knees. At the point
when we show our reverence to God, and ask Him to revive our spirit, He moves
in a powerful way to restore us back to Himself and to give us the strength and
courage we need to deal with life.
Jesus said this:
Matthew 5:3 (The Message)
"You're blessed when you're at the end
of your rope. With
less of you there is more of God and his rule.
So we
can cope with life in a fallen world by living a life set apart to God, a
Spirit filled life.
When
we live surrendered and dedicated to God’s will, we will be transformed.
When
we are transformed we can have the proper perspective on suffering. brokenness and
deadly viruses.
God has a good purpose even when there is fear,
suffering and brokenness. The good news is that He is always ready to comfort
us and minister to our hearts and minds when our perspective is limited and our
eyes cannot see the light through the darkness. God is always working for the
cause of His good purpose.
Romans 8:28 (New
International Version 1984)
And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose
The problem is this: we don’t always reach
out to God when we are struggling with our deepest and darkest pain. Even
though we have a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, we choose to prescribe our own
medication to make the pain go away. And when the pain doesn’t go away, there
is a tendency to medicate ourselves even to the point of self-destruction,
believing the only way to remove the pain is to no longer be able feel it.
Many have gone this route and it is sad to
see the destructive power of ones decision to take matters into their own hands
leaving in the wake many who bear the sorrow of one’s painful destructive
choices. The key word is choice and some make the choice to no longer suffer
even though there are still other hopeful avenues to take.
Even when the odds seem stacked against us,
even when we are suffering and have a broken spirit, we need to take to heart
this promise from God which held true for Joshua and will hold true for us
today.
Joshua
1:5 (NLT)
No one will be able to stand against you as
long as you live.
For I will be with you as I was with
Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.
God says:
He
will never leave us nor forsake us. (Joshua 1:5)
God has a plan:
To
give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
The Good News:
God
loves us and sent Jesus to rescue us! (John 3:16)
Remember
this truth: no one can separate us from the love of God:
Romans
8:38-39 (NIV)
For I
am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So, how can we cope with our fear, despair
and the unknown?
God’s promises and the Holy Spirit given to
us by God will help us cope with fear, suffering and all this brokenness we
experience in this fallen world!
I have learned that there is still hope
even when I begin to lose it. Take these 2 passages below to heart when you are
struggling and need supernatural help and strength.
Isaiah
40:31 TLB
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their
strength. They shall
mount up with wings like eagles; they
shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Do not be anxious
about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Eternally speaking, only a Spirit filled
life in Christ can bring real hope. For He wears the Crown and is the King over
all our circumstances!
Blessings……………….Dave
