Don’t Panic During the Pandemic

By O’Neal Copeland

The most recent events concerning the Coronavirus and the disease it causes, Covid-19, have been prevalent in the news. To date (globally) over 3.5 million people have been infected and in excess of 250,000 people have tragically lost their lives.  However, we must also remember that in 1918 there was another global pandemic in the form of the Spanish flu, which was estimated to have killed up to 50 million people, and therefore we must thank God that we are not talking about these sorts of numbers yet (and I pray we don’t).

Sure enough, no man can predict the full outcome or the end of this crisis, but we as Christians should have faith that God is in control. That doesn’t mean we should not take precautions and assume that as Christians we will be protected. We should still observe the social distancing rules and exercise caution whenever we need to travel. Undoubtedly many of us have and will face some stark situations with far reaching consequences over the coming months. The old age saying of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ has never been so poignant as we come to terms with the sorrow and distress of losing loved ones.

The Coronavirus has brought global economies to its knees, in a way that no human could have predicted. Yet if we understand and believe in biblical prophecy, it is clear that the times of tribulation and strife are at hand. We should be grateful that God has given us prior warning about the chaotic events which are due to unravel.

Through these unprecedented times, as the church adjusts its style of worship, we must continue to remain relevant and reach out to help those people who are struggling for answers during this period of turbulence (both within the church and our wider community), and are asking where is God in all of this?

The beautiful fact is that God is present and accessible to us as he’s always been. He’s waiting for us to reconnect, value and reaffirm him as our gracious leader and saviour. As it states in Proverbs 9, verse 10 ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.’ (NKJ) With this in mind we must study the word of God and pray for discernment and protection for the challenging times ahead. 

Now is not the time for us to go our own way and try to find a way out of this catastrophe. Although I fear once we return to some form of normality, world leaders and governments will almost certainly revert to their typical default position on ways to secure wealth and status for their respective countries. They will reflect on decisions taken during the pandemic and state that with hindsight things could have been handled better. Unfortunately, hindsight relies on us leaning on our own limited understanding.

It’s clear that no man on Earth has the answer or solution for this global predicament. Does this mean we should all panic? No.  Although we should be mindful of the situation, we should remain faithful and rejoice in the fact that we serve a mighty God who can deliver us from any situation. Therefore, we must keep praying and stay faithful. For we have a saviour who is merciful, has infinite wisdom, and divine foresight to steer us to make the right decisions all of the time. We just need to trust and obey him more, and he will endeavour to deliver all that he has promised, including the wonderful opportunity of everlasting life to those who believe and follow him. 

God bless you all.

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