The coronavirus has taken the world by storm. From daily media death counts to far-reaching conspiracy theories, it’s no wonder people are mentally, physically and spiritually exhausted. While the virus may have taken millions of people by surprise, God is not surprised. And even when facing a global pandemic, we are not to fear.
To trust in God is to strengthen our faith. And this is exactly what God wants us to do, especially now. He wants us to use our time in “quarantine” wisely. In God’s economy, making the best use of time in isolation doesn’t mean padding our stock portfolio’s and hoarding extra rolls of toilet paper planning for dooms-day. Rather, it is to bring Him glory. When we bring God glory, we are blessed.
One of the best ways to glorify God is to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything good flows from that relationship, and we can do it in a variety of ways. A personal favorite of mine is spending time in Scripture. Taking a verse (or verses) and meditating on them; allowing the divine Words to speak. Just as it is important to seek and search, it’s equally important to listen and follow.
I actually made a more deliberate effort to listen and follow this week. And, no surprise, a few Scriptures stood out amongst the rest. The magical (and mysterious) thing about Scripture is…the words are alive. Every time we read them, even the same verse, they speak to us in different ways (ways that just-so happen to correlate to exact situations we’re in now).
The first verse that grabbed my attention was Psalm 112:7.
This psalm states, “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
This verse can not be more pertinent. We are bombarded with negative news around the clock. But as believers, no matter what the headlines are, we do not need to be afraid. Yes, we should be aware of what’s going on (ignorance is not always bliss!) but we shouldn’t internalize negative news as truth. Our Truth is what God says, and His Word teaches us to trust Him and not to fear. This week, try not to let any negative news steal your peace or shake the foundation of your faith. After all, our Christian beliefs are built firmly upon God’s promises — not man’s — and His Word never fails.
The second Scripture was 2 Timothy 1:7.
It states, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”
Despite the cultural current we’re up against, we are called to be steadfast in courage, self-control, and love for neighbor. But, let’s be honest about this “love for neighbor” thing. When emotions are running high, and people seem to be saying and doing all sorts of crazy things, it can be very challenging to feel love and compassion towards them. Am I right? But the fact of the matter is, if we are not careful, we will slowly become hardened, angry and even hateful. And hate is not from God — nor is it the will of God — and we’re given, in fact, many stern warnings to resist hatred (1 John 3:15). On the contrary, all throughout Scripture, we are exhorted to love our neighbor (and not just our neighbor by the way, our enemies as well!). Our Lord never told us it would be easy. He told us that, through Christ, it would be possible … and worth it. If you are having a tough time loving others, ask God to help you. He will!
The third verse that spoke to me this week was James 1:5-6.
It states, “But if any of you lacks Wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.”
In times of great uncertainty, we need divine wisdom. Just think, as children of God, we are privy to His infallible and infinite Wisdom. What a gift! When King Solomon was asked by God what he wanted, Solomon asked for one thing only. Divine Wisdom. Why? Because Solomon understood that everything else flowed from that one source (2 Chronicles 1:7-12). Just like we can go to God for the strength to pray, we can go to Him for generous refills of Wisdom to navigate our trenches.
God speaks gently through Scripture but His messages are always clear. He does not want us spending time being afraid. Rather, He wants us to seek Him, trust Him, and enjoy our lives. By meditating on Bible verses like these, we will not only strengthen ourselves (our physical and spiritual lives), but our relationship with Jesus Christ as well — the key to God’s heart and our eternity.
If any Verses speak to you this week, I’d love to hear them. God bless you~
Written by Meisha Johnson
“Be Not Afraid”, great words spoken to us from the Bible. Whatever bad things happen to us at times, I believe there is a reason. Perhaps a needed learning experience, a way for us to further develop our spirituality or most importantly to get closer and to understand more Jesus Christ in our life. In any case, we are changed for the better from the experience.
Amen to THAT! God bless you~