I'm not an alarmist. I never have been, especially where global events are concerned. If there's nothing I can do about something, I would rather just go about my life until it hits close to home.
When the Coronavirus hit China, I was of course concerned for the people affected, and prayed that God would work in the situation, and was encouraged to hear about Christians facing the threat of illness and death with faith, hope, and grace. It was so far away, though, and part of me thought that of course the virus would never come close enough to affect me, so I prayed, but did not really bother to think deeply about the matter, because it seemed so far removed from my daily life.
Then last night, I learned that a case had been reported in my county. This morning, I learned that the person who had contracted the illness lived just one small town over from where I live. It still doesn't quite seem real, somehow, but it is a lot closer to home, and people are now talking seriously about "what if"s… you know, the "what if we get quarantined?", "what if school has to close?", "what if American society and economy crumble completely?", "What if it's the end of the world?"... Seriously, people are beginning to feel as if the world is spinning out of control with no hope in sight. Even the high-ranking medical officials are frightened and worry that they will not be able to contain the virus.
But we do not need to live in fear. Why?
Not because the Coronavirus is something to be brushed off: it is a very serious matter.
Not because our government or medical professionals have all the answers: they don't.
Not even because America is somehow immune from everything that goes wrong in the world: it isn't.
The reason we as Christians do not need to fear is because God does not change. I was reminded during my time with God this morning of some truths about God which apply to our view of the Coronavirus situation:
- God is Omniscient. (He has all knowledge.) The Coronavirus has not caught God off-guard. He knows, and has always known, that this would come at this specific moment in history, and He also knows what the outcome will be.
- God is Omnipotent. (He has all power.) Man on his own lacks the resources and ability to fight this virus, but God does not. He is able to do anything, and the truth of His ability should cause us to turn to Him for hope, rather than pinning our hopes on man's efforts.
- God is Merciful (He does not give us what we deserve). Let's face it: God could justly destroy the entire human race because of our sin, but the whole point of the Gospel is that God loves us and desires to show mercy. Why else would He sacrifice Himself for us? God is merciful, and if we look for it, we will see His hand of mercy in this crisis as well as in every other aspect of our lives. Lamentations 3 is a good chapter to read in times of difficulty and fear, for it speaks of God's mercy being new every morning, even in the midst of affliction.
- God is Good (He never does wrong; He is not malicious.) God is not just sitting around in heaven thinking up things He can send our way to annoy or hurt us. He is just, and He is good. He only does that which is right. In respect to the Coronavirus, this truth can help us to trust that He not only knows, but is doing what is right. He means this crisis for good for His people, and for those who are not His yet, but whose hearts will be softened towards Him through the pressure of this crisis. --God means this for good!
There are so many other truths about God which we can be encouraged by, even if the Coronavirus hits our towns, our homes, our loved ones, or even ourselves. The key is to fight fear with the truths of God's character.
Satan loves to use fear to introduce lies about God and derail us in the midst of a crisis God means to use to build up our faith. By immersing ourselves in the truths of God's Word, we can fight fear and live with joy, hope, and peace in the face of a humanly scary and hopeless time.
