As I sit here and write this, I’m in a bit a disbelief. Reflecting over the events of the past week, I said to my daughters yesterday “never in all of my years have I experienced anything like this!”
I’ve never seen schools closed for weeks at a time, church services cancelled indefinitely. Grocery store shelves are bare, and people just have a weird energy about them everywhere I go. As all of this unfolds day by day, and the news saturates our minds with an endless loop of fear and hopelessness, I think that now more than ever, we need a little reminder of whats true.
Here are 4 places that I find comfort in God’s Word in a time of crisis:
As we sat in our living room with our pastor talking about funeral plans, what songs we’d sing, who would talk…I remember that something struck me very suddenly and I said it out loud.
“Everyone says she lost her battle with cancer, but that would imply that the cancer won. But it didn’t. The cancer can’t grow without her. The cancer is dead. But she is more alive than she’s ever been, while that cancer sits powerless over her.”
The hope of our salvation is secure in the One who gave it to us. No one or nothing can take that from us! And when we recognize and focus on that, the things that scare us and threaten us seem so much less powerful. Not even cancer can claim the life of someone whose hope is in Jesus Christ. Because even death is a new beginning when Eternal life is what we look forward to!
I found out yesterday that my girls school is closed for at least 3 weeks. Instantly I got annoyed, then sad thinking of all of the experiences they’ll miss out on missing such a big chunk of time with their peers.
It didn’t take me long to take what I thought was a negative and realize that by taking away all distraction and removing the routines and constants that I count on through my week, God can and did just give me an amazing gift. I’m going to embrace this time of slowing down. I’m going to bask in the extra moments I get to soak up with my teenage daughters. I’m reminded by these verses that something as awful and scary as a global viral pandemic can also be used by God to give us little gifts. And that’s what this is! He’s going to do some amazing works in many families as people all over the globe are forced to close out the world by ourselves for a little bit. He’s using this awful thing to do an inconceivable amount of good for families everywhere!
When we are brought to our knees and have nowhere to turn, we look up. And when you look up, you will see Him. He is your strength and He is your future. So no matter what you face and how beaten down you feel, don’t give up because even when you feel your weakest, He is still using you for something important. And one day, this awful thing you are going through will be a powerful part of your testimony!
I hope that these promises in God’s Word help to put your heart back in the right place. I’m hoping that fixating on the trials of now with an eternal perspective make them a little less scary.
It’s my prayer that you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and tune out the noise that threatens to scare you and steal your joy. And whatever you are going through, just remember that you are not alone. God is only a prayer away and prayer is powerful! Read your Bible, talk to Him and love those who He put around you. And when you feel tired and weary, let those that God placed around you love YOU! It’s ok to accept the love and support of the people God placed in your life during difficult times. Following these easy steps makes even the darkest of days less powerful in light of His glory. And that’s the best place to find the hope and renewal that you need ♥️
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6 Responses
Angie–thank you so much for this post and these wonderful verses! Stay safe and enjoy your time with your family. ❤️
Thanks, Angie! Great post (And Dan too)
Thank you for the encouraging words.
Thank you for this reminder ❤️
I wanted to share this email I sent my daughter after asking me if I was going to church. As dads and moms, bosses and xo-workers, and people that know you believe in the Lord, Others are looking to see how you react. They are watching. this is a good response I believe and a way to lead, fearing only the Lord.
Church has been cancelled. I am sure with this hysteria that it will be postponed for a while. It’s silly everywhere. I’m more concerned about a drunk driver
killing me driving to church than dying from this virus. If I catch it I’ll be sick a few days and get better. Chances of catching it are huge, and I am sure 100’s of thousands have had it and recovered already because every person is not being tested and won’t ever be tested. For the vast majority of the world anyone who gets sick will have mild symptoms and recover. It’s serious, but we are blowing this up way too much.
People have short memories. 9/11 we worried that terrorists would kill us at work or at home. Our water supply would be poisoned and we all would die. Nerve gas would be exploded with dirty bombs in our cities. Transportation would never recover and we couldn’t fly planes again or ride a train. We were told not to gather in groups or we would be targeted for bombs. All possible, but never probable as the media and people lost their common sense.
It just did not happen. The financial crash of 2006/2007. Y2K . And some of you that are older, the Cuban Missile Crisis. Young people, Google these events and you will see worse times than right now. People only want to have 100 rolls of toilet paper and 10 gallons of bleach to somehow make them feel better. Restaurants emailing and saying “hey, just wanted you to know we clean everything so please come eat at our place.”
fear is the enemy. 3,000 people a day die in car crashes yet I’ll get in my car 3 times today. Why? If I don’t want to die in a car crash I have total control just by not getting in my car. Yet we are going crazy because of what? It’s a bad flu. It may kill you if you are in a high risk group. Just like the regular flu every year. (Killed 60,000 last year in USA alone). Yet people don’t get their flu shots for FREE !. If a shot was available to prevent coronavirus you would have mass panic and hysteria with people lining up and paying any amount of money to get that shot.
I’m getting in our car to go get some BBQ today, with other people around, and then I’ll risk my like driving home hoping I am not one of the 3,000 that will die today in a car accident.
Be calm. Be rational. Have some common sense. All things we can do yet most around us have lost.
I am taking this serious but I also realize the numbers and reality. And again, the most dangerous thing I’ll do today is get in my car.
Love you Kate. Thanks for listening. Dad
(Ps…to Angie’s readers. My daughter is 32 years old, married, Masters Degree. Mom and dads are parents for life. Always have kids looking to you to stay calm and tell them it will be ok. ) and it will be OK. Fear the Lord, means you trust God. Don’t fear ANYTHING else.
Dan, thank you so much for taking the time to share this! Fear is the enemy. Logic, compassion and common sense need to be the driving force, not fear and panic. There are so many people who are going through many things right now. So I’m trying to look past the hysteria, enjoy the extra time with my kids, and be available for those who are struggling with real-life tragedies and trials. So many friends are suffering right now, aside from this whole virus thing. But God’s still here, and He’s still good ♥️