"Is this really happening in 2020? Will our parents, siblings, and children be OK? How are we going to get back home? Will we have enough food and water? Are the hospitals equipped for COVID-19? How will we gather for worship? Is this the beginning of the end?"
Questions could go on for pages while the answers remain as elusive as water in the desert. Should you jump on the internet one more time to scan for an update - desiring to catch a glimmer of hope in all the confusion - you see another positive case of COVID-19, another quarantine, another lockdown, and your chest tightens once again.
Let me share a local update of what's happening here in Belize, where we serve as missionaries. Local vendors now dip the fingers of patrons in ink to prevent multiple purchases by the same person. The food supply emergency is becoming undeniable, and fear is rising to another level. Imagine not knowing if you have enough food to feed your family!
However...you didn’t come here to read about all that. You already knew times were bad -you came here for hope. Can I tell you the future is brighter than it has ever been before!
We have hope that is not founded on successful financial markets or pandemic-free populations.
Could it be that in the swirl of activity surrounding us today, God is wanting to show the world how His people can be still in the midst of the crisis? When you have JESUS, you have MORE than enough!
What Do We Know?
Hebrews 13:5b-6,8 ...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
In the middle of this pandemic, you need to understand that you are not forsaken. No matter how empty the restaurants, schools, and the churches become, you are not alone! Silence your cell phone; shut off the radio; put down the newspaper (if they still exist); be still for a few minutes. Open your Bible and see what this chaos can teach you.
Maybe the current distress isn't causing as much turmoil in our lives as the lack of things we utilize to otherwise occupy our minds and time.
Take a few minutes and read your favourite author. Call a friend you haven’t had the time to call in a while. Listen to an Odyssey story with your kids, or dig out a board game. How about this - take a moment and pray with your family. While you are still, ask God to speak to you. Be still and know...God has this under control!