God loves you. Unconditionally. God is in control. Without doubt.
These comments are so often used they sound cliché. I believe these truths. I sing about them. I shout about them. Why then would I ever have cause to fear? To be anxious? To fret over what tomorrow holds? When calamity strikes, it’s as if I forget what I believed so fervently only moments before. If you’ve ever done this, I will give you your diagnosis. You are terminally human.
God is in control even when it feels your situation has the upper hand.
Covid-19. This is a fierce plague that has spread rapidly. In fact, this epidemic has been described as ‘out of control.' BUT...God is the one who is in control!
Your trust in God is a lynchpin, the foundation of your Christian walk. If you lose it, you’ve lost everything. The moment you begin to question either God’s love for you or His control of your situation is the moment you lose your peace. Everything shatters.
Consider the following Scripture.
Mark 16:17-18
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
We believe in casting out devils. We believe in speaking in tongues. We believe in divine healing. But get this! In the same context that Jesus talks about these things, He also talks about divine protection from deadly things. Let me be clear: this does not mean that Christians shouldn’t exercise caution. Nor, does it mean we should be intentional with consuming or handling deadly things. However, I do believe that God has control over whether disease can enter -- or have to leave -- my body. If He said it, I believe it! I can’t just believe pieces of that verse, I have to believe it in its entirety.
Let’s look at another passage of Scripture.
Acts 28:3-6
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 5. And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. 6. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
The villagers knew exactly what that snake was. When it bit Paul, they expected him to die. In fact, the Bible says they looked on for a ‘great while.' Imagine! Just standing around, waiting for someone to die. (I hope none of these villagers were applying for a first responder position!)
Even though Paul unintentionally ‘took up the serpent’, God's promise remained intact, and he was not harmed by it. The villagers thought that Paul was a god. He wasn't, but He was protected by the God of all gods.
Nothing happens that He does not allow.
Take heart Saint of God. Under God’s authority, you have access to the promises listed in Mark 16. Step out boldly in faith. Shake off the fear that would try to grip you. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to wash your hands! 😊