CALM IN THE CORONAVIRUS STORM
In Mark 4:38, the disciples found themselves in the middle of a sudden storm. It seemed as if their ship was going down. They went to Jesus, who was asleep and woke him. They asked him, “do you not care that we are about to die?” Jesus does care about us, and this sudden storm (Covid-19) that has seemingly blown in. They were worried, and fear of uncertainty turned to panic. Jesus answered them by going out on the bow of the ship and speaking to the storm to be still. Immediately the storm ceased, and they found calm in the storm.
Pestilence- The definition of a Pestilence is any infectious, fatal disease that is widespread. It is also known as plagues. COVID-19 is an infectious disease that has been fatal for many and certainly is widespread. People are being stricken by fear of uncertainty. The less knowledge we have, the more uncertain we are about this disease. Fear multiplies and turns to panic. Panic is a reaction to fear. We have seen people hoarding supplies at stores all around us. People are in a panic. Life is asking us to change our normal daily lives and the order of them. This creates more panic as life seems unstable. In a panic, we are desperately grasping for something stable. The hoarding and buying is an attempt to feel stable when what we need to do is cancel out fear.
How do we do this? Look to the things that are certain and cant be changed by fear. God and his promises to those who belong to him are certain. In these times of panic and fear, instead of trying to buy or obtain enough stability, rest in God’s promises and find your certainty and calm there. When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and Pharaoh would not let them go, God sent plagues and pestilence into Egypt. It greatly affected the Egyptians but not God’s people. When Pharaoh finally let them go, the bible said they came out of Egypt, and there wasn’t one feeble knee among them. They were healthy. The pestilence did not affect them because they belonged to God, and he was taking care of them.
Psalms 91 gives us some assurance and certainty that those of us that are Christians have been promised by God in times like these we are living today. Psalms 91:2-3 says, “I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge, my God, in whom I will trust. Surely he will save you from the Fowler’s snare and the deadly pestilence.” It goes on to say that we should not be afraid of the pestilence that walks in darkness and that thousands may fall by your sides but it shall not come near you. And no plague will come near your dwelling. In the closing of Psalms 91, he said, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble and deliver him.
It is obvious to see that if you trust God and belong to him, he will see us through and give us calm in this storm. He is not intimated by disease and situations that trouble us. He will stand up and confront it for us to provide us with peace in our lives. He is enough to get you through days like these. He never changes. Find peace in life through him and his power to cancel out all fear and restore calm to our lives.
I come across this: “One of the worst days, until recently, for the Coronavirus was Feb 10th. On that day, 108 people in China died of coronavirus. But, on the same day, 26,283 people died of Cancer, 24,641 people died of Heart Disease, 4,300 people died of Diabetes, and also on that day, Suicide, unfortunately, took more lives than the virus did by 28 times.
Moreover, mosquitos kill 2740 people every day. Humans kill 1300 fellow humans every day, and snakes kill 137 people every day. TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND WASH YOUR HANDS!
It’s all about our perspective.
Corporal B.S. White
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