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“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:8-11

If ever there was a time when all the people of the world were united by a common threat, it is now. COVID-19 has spread throughout the globe in record time bringing forth anxiety, fear and a mounting death toll. The virus is not a respecter of position, fame or wealth. It has upended all our illusions of control and self-sovereignty.

This may be right where our sovereign God wants us. Faced with a threat that we cannot contain, will we humbly turn to the Lord in fear and reverence? No longer able to maintain control, will we give Him complete control of our lives? Rendered unable to make plans, will we acknowledge that the plans of the Lord stand firm forever? Can COVID-19 be used to draw a hurting world into the loving arms of a big, sovereign and gracious God?

We do not know God’s purposes in allowing this virus to spread, but we know that He is good and what He does is good (Psalm 119:68). We know that He uses all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We know He wants us to respond to this threat, and any threat, by trusting Him (Psalm 91:2). We know that He has called His church to be salt and light to those who do not know Him (Matt. 5:13-16). He has called us to look different than the world. We should not fear (Isaiah 41:10); we should not hoard (Luke 3:11); we should follow every protocol suggested by our governing authorities (Romans 13); we should love our neighbor (Mark 12:33) and feed His sheep (John 21:17).

Church, how are we doing? How am I doing? As I have been contemplating what it might look like to love our neighbor and feed his sheep in a time of social distancing, these came to mind:

• Practice social distancing out of concern for others.
• Use social media to stay connected but avoid posting or reposting things that may produce anxiety.
• Call friends to check on them or pray over the phone.
• Resist the urge to overbuy groceries; leave items you don’t need for someone else who may need them.
• Give blood—blood banks are at an all-time low due to the cancellation of civic and church-sponsored blood drives.

Most importantly, pray and ask God to show us all how He has uniquely gifted and positioned each of us to “feed His sheep’ in a time such as this. Let’s show the world how God’s love can set us free from fear, anxiety and self-interest.

“Lord, we love you and we want to demonstrate your love to those who are hurting and afraid. Help us.”

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski
TRBC Women’s Life