As the kids are out of school and taking to at-home learning, perhaps it is time for us adults to see what we can learn in the midst of this coronavirus outbreak. There are lessons all around us—lessons that God is eager to teach us.
During my walk this morning, I saw robins everywhere. They were scurrying around, stirring the leaves, trying to catch unsuspecting earthworms. For me, robins are a harbinger of Spring—a sign of new life after a long, harsh Winter.
The yellow bell bushes are blooming. The trees are filled with new buds, and their beautiful, delicate pastel petals are beginning to jut in all directions. Tender grassy, woody and leafy plants are breaking through the earth all around. Soon all of our gray surroundings will be bursting with every shade of green and splashings of vivid colors that only our Creator possesses in His pallet of paints. The air has that crisp coolness and earthy smell of early Spring. I suspect with all the rain we have had, that it is going to be one of the most beautiful Springs we have experienced in quite a few years.
If you saw a video of my walk today, you would never know that the world is under attack by this invisible enemy called coronavirus, or that our economy is plummeting out of control, or that our world is seemingly grinding to a screeching halt. But it is…
Yet in the midst of it all, God is working in our lives and speaking to us.
God will take care of you.
Don’t worry. Those robins and plants I saw didn’t look worried this morning. Like them, no matter what comes, you are held safely within the Creator’s hands.
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6:30
Be still and know that He is God.
He has a plan. Never doubt that the Lord is working in the midst of this crisis. He is bringing families back together at the dinner table. Hopefully, He will bring some unity back to our divided nation through this common threat. He is calling on Christians now more than ever to step up to show we are the church no matter where we are or what we are doing. He is calling people everywhere to trust Him during these difficult times in every way—physically, financially, and emotionally.
This crisis is not a surprise for Him. He never wastes an opportunity to draw people to Him, or to make His children more like Jesus. We may not understand it all, but rest assured, He is doing something, and He will make a way for us through it.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
God is unchanging.
He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. The world looks just like it does every Spring. We can see this only if we are able to take our eyes off of the coronavirus long enough to look around. He has the whole world in His hands. That has not changed, nor will it ever change.
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17
God is calling us to action.
Just as He will soon call people to work the land that is revived by Spring, the Lord is calling His children to be His hands and feet during this time.
But what can you do while you have to be socially distant?
Draw near from afar.
Make a call to encourage someone. Check on an elderly neighbor. Bake them a cake, and take them some groceries and leave on the porch. Support local businesses as best as you can while staying safe. Post encouragement on social media. Babysit for a working single mom.
Be sensitive to Divine Appointments. God is making lots of them for His children right now. Get creative with outreach. Send a card. Do skype groups. Reach the lonely. Comfort the discouraged. Help the sick. Cyber hugs are great hugs too.
Shine the Light. When the world is dark, that is when the Light is most apparent. Tell people about the hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Hold onto hope.
God will see us through. Spring is just around the corner.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10
…Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5
Take a walk. May your soul be revived by God’s beautiful nature coming back to life, and may we not miss it entirely by focusing on our fears about the coronavirus. Don’t miss the miracle that is all around us. God is speaking. Be still and know that He is God. Nothing is impossible with Him. And His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Rely on Him. He can and will carry us through.
“The beautiful Spring came, and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” Harriet Ann Jacobs
Dear Lord: Thank You for Your great love for us, and for taking care of us through this virus. You are the Great Physician. Please touch this virus and diminish its strength. Protect us, especially the most vulnerable and those on the front lines of fighting this illness. Bring it to a close quickly if it is Your will. Hold us close and accomplish Your great plans for all of us in the midst of it. Thank You in advance for all You are going to do to show Your great power and glory. We need You to defeat this enemy. We trust in You as You hold the whole world in Your hands. Amen
“For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:11-12
I welcome your comments and experiences to encourage our group.
Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today. May God keep you and your family safe, and revive your soul with the coming Spring.