2020 March Review – For Such a Time as This

Brazilian floods and mudslides… earthquakes in Utah, Nevada, Russia, Iran, Turkey… locust infestations destroying crops in Africa and Pakistan… And a new coronavirus causing a global outbreak of the COVID-19 disease… the nature of man demands answers.

Man responds with his best abilities in science, medicine, distribution systems, and political responses for economic stability; he creates new rules and regulations designed to put man back in control – back on the throne of his own life. But when our daily natural lives are so profoundly interrupted, it is not the new advice or instructions that we follow, if we did, there would be no smokers left in the world! 😊 It is not in our nature to be obedient.  We are selfish creatures.

At a time like this, when our very existence can threaten another human being, that each individual must decide how to respond.  It is not a complicated decision – all decisions reduce to a fundamental choice – Do I serve myself? Or, Do I serve others? And these choices are influenced by who we listen to.

This generation is not equipped to deal with this virus. No one is immune.  The young pull pranks to amuse themselves and their friends, then share their ‘power’ to cause fear in others, all for the glory of social-media fame.  We cannot condemn the ignorant. They don’t see that the famous are not immune.  The famous try to initiate encouragement to their massive followers but their words and songs are empty of hope and action for people who have lost their jobs, who are sick, who are separated from their loved ones, who are in need.  They too, are ignorant.

The powerful and the wealthy try to force their ideas and solutions on their subjects but the existing divisions among the leaders only ignites a fire to the already existing divisions within the masses… ignorance and arrogance, combined.

At such a time as this, when all the earthly exalted seems to be failing, how is a Christian to respond?

Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Weather catastrophes, locusts, and plagues are not new.  The Old Testament is filled with incidents of weather catastrophes, locusts, and plagues encountered in the history of humanity.  It is always at the time when man strives to exalt himself and deny the goodness and love of God that these incidents occur: The Flood, The Tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, The Exodus, The rebellion of the Israelites in the desert, the period of the Judges, and through the Kings in Israel’s divided nation. And when god speaks to His people, through His prophets, few are inclined to listen – not when they can see the possibility of strength and salvation from themselves or a nearby visible source.

The New 10 – These are Unprecedented Times!!!!

1. Gain as much knowledge so you can act responsibly.
2. Avoid contact with other people – maintain a distance of 6 feet or more.
3. Avoid contact with people who are infected.
4. Cover your mouth and nose with a mask or cloth face cover when around others.
5. Work from home, if possible.
6. Close your business, if non-essential.
7. Stay home as much as possible, do not travel, do not congregate.
8. Clean your hands often.
9. Don’t touch your face.
10. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.

Again, I ask, at such a time as this, what is the Christian called to do? We look to the Word of God.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 –  When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

When I read the Old Testament, I often think that I would be strong enough to behave differently than those people did, I would still obey the Lord. I would pray like David,

Psalm 143:8 – Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

But my heart still grieves for the lost. Those who refuse to humble themselves, confess their sins, and repent. (Repent – turn from the direction you are currently heading and seek the wisdom of God for new life.)

WHAT brings you peace at such a time as this? Is this a wilderness time in your life? In Numbers 13-14, we read of the 12 spies exploring the promised land and 10 of the 12 returning with fear and refusal to trust in the Lord.  The people grumbled and complained. The ten that inspired the people to fear were struck with a plague, only Joshua and Caleb survived. The Lord passed judgment on that generation. And forgetting that it was their sin that reaped those consequences they began again to gather in opposition and rebel. They quarreled with Moses even complaining that they had not died with their brothers before. The place they were living in was terrible – no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates! And no water to drink.  Even Moses gave in to the community pressure and instead of speaking, as God commanded him, Moses struck the rock, twice, to bring forth water.

They grew impatient, again forgetting their own sin, and spoke against God and Moses, complaining again about no bread and water.

This time, the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; many were bitten and many Israelites died. The people asked Moses to pray that the LORD would take the snakes away, so Moses prayed. (Numbers 21:4-8)

God answers this prayer in a remarkable way – He commands Moses to create a bronze snake, hang it on a pole, so that anyone bitten could look at this symbol and live.  (Anyone using their brain would know there is no healing power in a bronze snake – this is obviously God reaching out to his people to say: Look to me… Trust me… Obey me… and live.)

In one of the most beloved passages in the Bible, John 3:16, Jesus tells Nicodemus, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  But to help Nicodemus, an Old Testament scholar, understand what he was trying to teach him, Jesus first tells him in

John 3:14 – Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Today, on Palm Sunday, review

Luke 19:41-42 – As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

I pray, that God calls all His children to spend this week thinking about what next weekend represents as we remember that Jesus Christ was lifted on the Cross to die for our sins.  I pray that we humble ourselves and remember that He is God and we are not.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways, His ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Don’t define how you expect God to respond in the current crisis or you will miss it when He does.  Read Romans 5, Paul’s message of Hope and Peace found in Christ and be obedient to the governing authorities as he tells us in Romans 13.  

What is a Christian to do? For now, and every other day, I will stand firm. I put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and fit my feet with the gospel of peace.  When a fiery dart comes near, I pick up the shield of faith. And, I constantly train to face any battle, picking up my helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. 

I stand, I pray, and I look for God’s answer. But it is not through my own strength that this is even possible. I rely on the power, the strength, the wisdom, and the guidance of the One who lives in me – because He loves me 💖 and I trust Him.