[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.]
[The Shepherd’s Echo is a previously published TheShepherdsPen]
So, who is this guy who’s writing about all of the good things we have in Christ this week? “Doesn’t he know that the world is absorbed in chaos?” “Doesn’t he know that the house is on fire?” (And, I do realize that!).
Let me say that some of the stuff online is not my cup of tea, but I know that people process life and events in different ways. I can give them that grace. This is my way of working through this. Why would I dedicate so much time to reassuring the flock that we are in good hands, and that God has this?
Am I seeking calm? Yes. Am I seeking perspective? Yes. Hoping we know that the Lord is in control? Absolutely! It is a common theme in Scripture.
Even in the midst of the affliction of Judah, Jeremiah gets this as well.
Suddenly in our passage of Lamentations 3:21-26, we find there is some sort of response required on our part – one of waiting (expectantly) and pursuing the Lord (verse 25).
“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.”
But, what does that mean? How do I wait, and seek at the same time?
First, to wait for Him is to “remain in expectation of Him.” This is God’s world, and everything is subject to His timing and His rules. If you don’t believe that, we need to talk. The person who fully recognizes the sovereignty and authority of God is a person who has truly known God, and the Lord is good to him.
Second, the idea of seeking God carries with it the idea of seeking God’s will, desiring to witness God’s hand move in the resolution of any given need. It carries with it the idea of prayer.
And that leads us to the questions of the day:
What about this virus?! Is God in control or not? If so, does He have a purpose of not? Does He cause it, or allow it? What is He doing? Will we get the right vaccine in time?
I know. It’s dramatic; it sounds like a B-movie again. Some rather lengthy answers are required, but for certain, but He is in control – timing and solutions. It is His world! And whether He causes it, or allows it, He uses it for His purposes.
Let me say this about a medical solution to the present-day problem. A vaccine will be discovered, if it is discovered, when God is ready for it to be. We press on, we try from a human perspective, but God allows it for His glory in His time. That “solution” whatever it may be, could be hiding under a thousand walnut shells. Our human task may be to discover that remedy through the conventions and inventions of the human agency, but God has “packed our bags” to be able to do so. That is one way how God invites us to participate in His sovereign plan.
“Okay, so I wait for God, and His timing and solution. But, then what? How should I pray?”
Good Questions.
As a nation, or as a Church, what should be our prayer… “Oh, God, Heal us!”? … or that hearts are rent and turn to honor God? At the risk of offending some… a vaccine and a restored economy is not what the world needs MOST today. In light of eternity, the world needs to acknowledge the One True God and His only Son who died for sin. For the record, there may just be something here about the purpose of these current events.
We wait for God. We pray for His will. We pray for hearts to turn to Christ. And now in the midst of an unstable world, hearts may just be ready to listen.
Again, as we march through these trying times, let’s not do it alone. Call Someone. Pray with someone. Connect with someone. Serve Someone. Nurture someone. Above all, let’s love God together.
Be the Church, Church!
Pastor Kelly
