Where is God in the midst of a pandemic?
Everything familiar has been cancelled. Beaches closed. Broadway plays shut down. Easter services interrupted. I’m prohibited from visiting Mother to to celebrate her 96th birthday. My daughter lives in New York City—the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic. School closings forced children to forego their classrooms for distance learning. Grocery stores lack toilet paper. Journalists raise doubts about the motives and decisions of our government. The stock market drop threatens my economic security. My emotions vacillate between fear and panic. Uncertainty concerning the outcome of the coronavirus weighs heavily on my mind. Doubts about God seep into my mind and disrupt my faith.
Dr. Phil, psychologist with a proven tract record of concern for our mental health, suggests we deal with the facts to help our emotional well-being. Max Lucado, one of my favorite Christian authors, reminds us that trouble does not mean the absence of God. The book of Hebrews, written to encourage believers in difficult times, defines faith as assurance of unseen realities—absolute truth. Based on what we learn in Hebrews, our faith that begins as hope can be trusted in trying times.
By faith, Noah obeyed God’s warning regarding the flood, and built an ark. God met the needs of his family.
By faith, God’s people crossed through the Red Sea as if walking on dry land. God parted the waters.
By faith, Moses left Egypt, moving forward as though he could see the invisible God. God delivered His people.
By faith, the prostitute Rahab, in the face of danger, welcomed the spies into her home. God protected.
By faith, God’s people circled Jericho for seven days, and the walls toppled. God defeated their enemy.
By faith, Abraham followed God’s call to offer his only son as a sacrifice. God saved his son.
By faith, God’s people conquered kingdoms, closed the mouth of hungry lion, and sent opposing armies into panicked flight. They accepted torture, suffered mockery and endured prison. The faithful were stoned, swallowed up by a whale and killed by the sword. Some were penniless, afflicted, and tormented. Others wandered across deserts, crossed mountains, and lived in the caves, cracks, and crevasses of the earth. During every trial, God remained.
Throughout history and in every circumstance, God kept His covenant promises and proven Himself trustworthy to protect and provide for His beloved children. By faith, ordinary people like us endured hardships worse than the Coronavirus. They believed with firm conviction that God loved them, and they trusted Him to keep His promises in times of despair. As we endure this season of testing unprecedented in our lifetime, we are called to surrender our doubts to our heavenly father and prove ourselves faithful to Him.
By faith, I accept the sovereignty of God during the uncertainty of this pandemic. By faith, I believe God’s unseen promise to protect and provide for me. By faith, I choose to trust God with what I cannot see.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ezDEZaCuzXQ
Max Lucado
Matt 11:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIjWEWiezMY
Dr. Phil deal with the facts
Lauren Daigle I will trust in You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_aVFVveJNs
Dear God, with Valentine's Day around the corner, I'm supposed to feel happy. Instead, disenchantment floods my mind, because I don't have a man to love me. Heart-shaped balloons and fancy decorated cupcakes haunt me at the grocery store. Ads for gifts flood social media. Even Seven-Eleven sells roses for last-minute lovers. The office provides no solace. Excited women gather to chat and giggle about upcoming dates, romantic dinners and jewelry they hope to receive. Cards and flowers adorn every desk except mine. When I arrive home from work, no one greets me--silence and darkness await. Who cares that I'm late? Who knows if I'm sick or sad? Who shares my sorrows and joys? It's not that I don't want someone to love. You know I've tried to develop meaningful relationships, but in the end nothing lasts except disappointment. God, my loneliness screams louder than the annoying buzz of the refrigerator keeping me company at night. God, what am I to do? Samantha My Dear Samantha, I've seen your precious heart trampled and betrayed as you wonder if you will ever find a suitable husband. I know how living alone depresses you, especially on a Hallmark holidays such as Valentine's Day. When you arrive home from work downcast, although you don't see Me, I am waiting for you. On days your heart feels sick or empty, I offer you My compassions and tender care. In the night as tears soak your pillow, I wipe each one. Many women settle for mass-produced cards with sentiments that fade along with their relationships. But, I wrote you a treasure of love letters in the Bible to express My everlasting love for you. Samantha, My mind overflows with caring thoughts of you all the time, not merely one day of the year. Red balloons pop. Chocolates disappear. Pink. flowers wilt. But My faithful love remains with you for eternity. I know you need someone that's faithful and strong. If you give Me your undivided affection, I'll lavish you with My love until you believe that I am the One you're trying to find to fill the hole in your heart. Samantha, will you join Me for supper at My house on February 14 to share an appetizer of wine and bread? Will you be My forever Valentine? Love, God
Winding my way to God began when Daddy dropped me off at church.
I hate Christmas. When I think of celebrating, sadness wraps around me like a heavy, drab coat.
When I realized abuse resides in my home, I trembled and cried. God what should I do?
How could I stop the hurtful relationships? How could I overcome the heartache they caused?
I remember the first time I feared my husband . . .
Emotional abuse systematically wears away ones self-confidence and sense of worth.
My tumultuous emotions crashed like waves against boulders. Why do I feel beaten?
When I hear the news about the rapid spread of Coronavirus, anxiety grips my heart.
Feeling lonely hurts, but no matter how helpless and forgotten you feel, find hope here.
