THOUGHTS THROUGH COVID-19
Fear can make us do some crazy and irrational things. A friend of mine tells a story, where he was leading friends at a college campout through a forest and he began to notice something following them, after a few moments of checking his surroundings he noticed that a mountain lion had been stalking the group for sometime, so he quickly, without alerting anyone for their own fear, led them to their camp where they would be safe. A few years later, that same leader was at a zoo, and as he walked into a darkly lit room he froze in panic to a point of paralyzation, because he came face to face with a mountain lion, albeit in a pen and very much contained, yet the same fear came rushing over him that he had that one evening while walking through the woods. Fear can make us act in healthy and unhealthy ways sometimes. The first example, my friend acted in a healthy fear, recognizing that this mountain lion was dangerous to himself and the group he was leading. The second, was an unhealthy fear, that leads to a funny story, but a bit of an over-reaction.
There is a lot of fear happening around the world right now because of COVID-19. Some of it rightfully so, it’s good to have healthy fear that leads you to wash your hands or not touch your face because we have a healthy fear that the disease could infect us by a touch or an uncovered cough. But there is also an unhealthy fear, especially for the believer, whether admitted or not, that leads us to believe the lies of the devil that God is not in control of all that is going on. That He is not with us, that He doesn’t have a plan for us, and that ultimately we are on our own to deal with this disease.
Paul writes to the believers in Rome, who’ve suffered great persecution for their faith, encouraging them to think on the eternal reality they had with the Father. His encouragement was this, because you are sons and daughters of God, you don’t have anything to fear.
Here is what he says,
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, or those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:14-33
Brothers and sisters, what shall we say to these things? What shall we say to the coronavirus? The same thing that Paul says to us, “If God is for us, then who (or what) can be against us?“ Paul reminds the believers in Rome, and us, that our union with Christ is the foundation for fighting our fears!
For me as a pastor, I fear that we seem afraid and succumbing to the hysteria around us when we cancel Sunday gatherings, there’s a little fear that our finances could take a severe hit because people won’t give.
For those of us out shopping, the fear of not having enough supplies and food to feed and take care of our families scares us, and that leads to people hoarding things like toilet paper, sanitizer, and other essentials, without thinking about how other people also need these supplies. Families who have elderly that they aren’t able to talk to or see for fear of infecting them. Those of us with immune systems that may have been compromised by past infections or is compromised now. Small business owners and their fear that their work will be shut down, and they will lose what they have, and because of that won’t be able to provide for their families, and of course our hard working men and women in the medical world, who are working tirelessly in and around this epidemic, to take care of people, some who aren’t even grateful for the work these medical people do. These, and countless others not named, are real legitimate fears that I have witnessed over the past couple of days and they can make us do unhealthy things and believe the irrational lies from the devil.
Because of these fears, I want to draw you back to your reality brothers and sisters and it is this, no matter how bad it gets, God is not shocked, God is still on His throne, and He is in control of it all. I have a background on my phone from a quote from Charles Spurgeon that is a daily reminder of this truth, it says, “He who counts the stars and calls them by their names, is in no danger of forgetting His own children.”
This is our reality, in every circumstance. Let us hold fast to this truth. Now is a time to mourn and lament that sin still has a hold of this world, but let our mourning and lamenting lead us to a deep abiding trust in the goodness of God, who has promised us this, “even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you don’t have to fear evil for I am with you, My rod and My staff they comfort you” (Psalm 23:4).
Brothers and sisters, let us rest our fearful heads on the pillow of God’s sovereignty and trust that He is the great I AM, the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He will not leave His people but has promised to draw near to them in their time of need.
Grace and Peace
Josh