27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27
Many of us are wondering what on earth is going on right now. The Coronavirus scare seems to be growing exponentially each day. Maybe we’ve sensed we’re in the last days for some time, but now it seems imminent!
Don’t forget, God is in control. Not even a sparrow can fall from the sky apart from our heavenly Father (Matthew 10:29). He is the creator and sustainer of life. Even when everything around us seems to be changing, he is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
God is still good. He does not fail. The promises he’s made, he will keep. We can look back over our lives; we can look back over history; and we can affirm that the God in whom we trust has never failed.
Stay grounded in Jesus. Even as the world around us is panicking and wanting to pull us down with it, we have the chance to show something different. Fear and anxiety spread even quicker than a virus. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take precautions, it simply means Jesus is with us even as we do.
Peter wrote that believers should be ready to give a reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). This presupposes we have hope even at times that are most stressful and in full crisis mode. We need to root ourselves – by prayer, the word, community – in Jesus. May the world see the hope we have because we know and love the Lord of all!
In these days of uncertainty, let’s remind ourselves – and one another – constantly of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Let’s pray for the peace that surpasses understanding; the peace Jesus promised to his disciples. Jesus was on his way to the Father. It was the night he would be arrested and within twenty-four hours he would be laying in a tomb. Though their hearts would be troubled, they could trust in him.
We can too. Though our hearts be troubled; though the world around us seems to crumble; though all around us is fear and anxiety; we have the hope that death has been defeated. We have the hope that by Christ’s wounds, we are healed. We have the promise that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.
Take time to reflect:
What kinds of things cause you to feel fearful or anxious? List them and see if there is a common theme or connection between them. Are there any truths you know about God that speak to this?
Make a list of ways God has answered prayer in your life. What are times you’ve seen him “show up”? How has he provided for you? Where have you seen his love?
Take time to tell God how you’re feeling about things going on around you. Ask him to help you remember his grace and faithfulness in your life and to stir up more and more hope for what is to come.
Thank you for your encouraging blog. Such good words for the world today.