A New Normal #13 – Shaken

[The following post is one of several under the heading of “A New Normal” addressing our response to the Coronavirus outbreak. They are written to the family at Bishop Creek Community Church. I was asked to make them available as an encouragement to all.]

In little more than a few months, it has come on with a vengeance. It struck quickly, deeply, and it was universal, like falling into a well. As such, it will be a long, arduous climb out of this pit. In the swell of concern, doubt, perhaps fear, the questions emerge. I am beginning to get questions like… “Is this the end?”, and “How could your loving God allow so many people to die?” 

Did God cause this, or allow it…I won’t address in depth what my views are in this article, but, I do know that He uses things such as these for His purposes. My personal understanding is that the virus causing so much dismay falls in the camp of the evil one. After all, things were good until sin entered into the world. But the Lord has His purposes, and allows those elements which will ultimately accomplish His plan.

I will say, I do think that He is allowing our foundations to be tested. The Christian worldview helps us to digest things a little more clearly than that of a secular world. If we understand that our God is sovereign, and exercises His providential powers at will, if we understand His authority supersedes all others, then we can rest in His decisive will. He is at work. He conforms. He calls. And, at times, He tests. My guess is that in some way He is doing that right now. 

Some will come through with flying colors; others will be shaken.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:24-27).

We do love our autonomy and independence. We love to be in control. We struggle letting go of control. The reality is that in no way were we really ever in control. I am sensing that one of the lessons we, as a people of the Earth are to learn, is the integrity of our foundations. Many, which have been relying upon their foundations of sand will need to reconsider where they have built.

These times test the integrity of the structures, the foundations, and the architecture. This is a test. Sort of, a foreshadowing of what will occur in the future realm. Will our foundations be able to endure the storms?

For the flock of God, we have nothing to fear, here, now, or in the future. For those who have established a residence upon uncertain, unstable terrain, now is a good time to move to solid ground. 

Pastor Kelly  /‘.’\