Coronavirus action and reactions based on personal and social interaction.
Suffice it to say, there’s no better time than now to dwell on what is plaguing the world on a daily basis restricting our society. This essay is being written from my observation from a spiritual awareness that cannot escape the current mandates imposed upon us without sacrifice. What are we to sacrifice you ask? Pay homage to what the Bible says about God’s promises as opposed to what you feel are promising to you living without His dictates. Here I am, as I imagine many of you are, getting used to the ‘new normal’ imposed by the pandemic of the coronavirus. It is a jarring process to get used to the restraints this puts upon us. As I opine, I’m all over the place with my thoughts on this, especially as how it has an impact on worship, and being disrupted from status quo. The world as we knew it always have been hungry for good news, but right now, I think we might be starving for it! We’re exhausted by the onslaught of devastating headlines — one after another after another. Some of us are traumatized by what we’re seeing and hearing. Some of us have gone numb, trying to cope with different directives just to survive. Pastors hve been adamant in continuing his delivery of the Word under specific guidelines and his undying belief that he is here for a purpose, especially now. In a virtual sense it allows for options that are ours for continuity. When we look at what’s going on now our continued need for church is still important before the virus hit. Thank God for the ZOOM applicable mode we can still tune in. The purpose here is for me to give you three spiritual lessons that should not be ignored while we continue to be vigilant and vital.
Lesson Number One is—don’t abandon God’s Word without complete introspective analysis to what should be heeded. I want to give you two important scriptures from the book of Psalms. They are paramount in disarming fear and uncertainty. To wit: Psalms 85 and a few pages over, Psalms 91 are my companions. The former deals with a prayer for continued favor, revival and restoration as you read verses 4-7. Don’t stop there. Subsequent verses 8-13 finds us having confidence in God’s response for solutions through righteousness, mercy and truth. The aforementioned leads us to Psalms 91 which is basically God’s way of telling us that whoever runs to Him and seeks His Devine protection will be saved from calamity and destruction. When we pray the world of this Psalm it becomes a powerful shield of shelter from fear. I call this particular Psalm the 9-1-1 to our Savior. It’s brimming with declarations and promises of God’s protection. Fear is the one emotion God doesn’t want to overtake us, because when we fear, it reveal in our hearts how we are relying on our own effort and not trusting in Him.
Lesson Number Two: Use better discernible options for spiritual value. This is but an extension from those two scriptures above. During this time of woe, is it a prerequisite or requirement to get closer to God? If your answer is an affirmative, then Lesson one is part of your process of facing the challenges to strengthen your faith in this second lesson. For me, as it should be for you, it’s important to distinguish between true and false saviors, While vaccines may limit the immediate threat to the coronavirus and Covid-19 maladies for us either individually or collectively, death will still have its day and eventually lay its claim upon us. In between corrupted to corrected, it’s natural for the world to ultimately rely on vaccines to calm our preoccupations and restore predictability to future endeavors back to normalcy. But only God opens a real path beyond fear and beyond death. I always say our lives are on loan, where that Man upstairs is the best guaranty fulfilling that loan in a destiny that lies way past this troubled world. On a personal note, the most important thing I’ve learned has more to do with me knowing that I’m covered with the best protection there is—the propensity of His saving Grace knowing only He can discern what’s best for me!
In summation, the final lesson is all about acknowledging the value of life itself. What this mean is doing all that pertain to protecting yourself and your family. The Bible has quite a few mandates for us to live the type of life that will have returns on your investment. We have an important opportunity to ponder these deeper lessons as they play out in our midst. Rather than placing our hopes in the limited promises we are prone to adhere to, the pandemic reminds us of our vulnerability and the need for God being present in hearts and minds. No one knows how long we will be periled with plagues and pestilences that beset us during this unnerving hiatus. As such, as you read this newsletter, you are now the recipient of a new format in our editorial presentation via online media. We will continue to provide the sort of articles and commentary that both challenge and undergird your mindset for critical thinking. As long as I’m allowed to write exponentially, the newsletter ministry won’t relent in how we keep you informed. I venture to add that your thoughts are important to us, also. If you have the desire to write an article or narrative about living through and overcoming adversity relative to this virus, we would love to hear from you!
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