During this time of social isolation in response to the Covid-19 virus we have an opportunity to draw near to God, to study His Word, and to build up our believing. When faced with circumstances that are scary, one of the things that is encouraging to me and to others is to have one or two verses from God’s Word that speak to our hearts. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Since He knows the future, none of these current events are a surprise to Him. He is faithful, and what He promises through scripture He will bring to pass in our lives as we believe.
The media likes to capitalize on fear and keeping people on the edge of their seats. Years ago when I did a summer internship at one of the local news stations, they would rank the different leading stories on how scary and shocking they were. The point they wanted to make was, this is happening now and it could happen to you. When we are constantly flooded with this way of seeing the world it is easy to develop a lifestyle (or spirit) of fear. This stands in direct opposition to what it says in the Bible. One of my favorite verses comes from 1 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” When we renew our minds to think like God thinks, as we are reminded in Romans 12:2 and 8:31, we recognize that God is with us and for us. He promises to deliver us, to heal us, and that as we seek Him we will lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:17, Psalm107:21 and Psalm34:9-10)
One of my favorite quotes comes from Corrie Ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place, who lived through World War II and survived the prison camps in Germany, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” God will bring us through this time of uncertainty because He always delivers His children. Now the way He is going to do it is not going to be our way. Because His ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8). When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt He led them right through the Red Sea. He could have built a bridge, provided a boat, or had them walk around it. Instead, He used Moses to clear a path right through the middle with walls of water towering up on either side of them. This must have been pretty frightening to walk through, yet God made it so they walked through on completely dry ground The Israelites had to choose to trust where God was leading them and walk by faith through to the other side. We also have a choice today to trust where God is leading us, to walk by faith, even when the way ahead seems scary, and to keep our hearts and minds on how BIG our God, the Lord of heaven and earth, is.
Let me remind you that what you feed will grow. If you feed your mind on all the latest news and scary predictions your fear will grow. If instead you feed yourselves a steady diet of God’s promises and let His Spirit remind you of all truth, His peace will grow and guard your hearts and your minds.
My fellow believers may we continue to grow in knowing God and standing on His Word and may the peace of Christ reign in our hearts and minds.