Covid-19. The Coronavirus. I think most people are tired of hearing about it. It has affected more people than just those infected. This post though, is less about the virus than what it has done to our culture.
If you are reading this to find out my opinion on whether states are taking restrictions too far, or if I think that we need to shut down for longer, this post will most definitely disappoint.
Instead I want to address the chaos and confusion that has gripped our culture today. There have been so many different messages out there; so many conspiracy theories as to the cause of the outbreak and also how government officials are using it for their own benefit in the upcoming election.
Who do you trust?
Whether it be about the virus itself or methods to prevent it, message after message has been given. Many of these messages contradict each other. James 1:6 reminds us that people who doubt and do not trust in God are like “a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind”. That is what we are seeing right now. People being tossed to and fro; opinions changing like the wind.
The uncertainty that arises from fear can paralyze us. We don’t like not knowing what our future holds. We have no idea who to believe.
Statements are being taken out of context to get people to believe a certain story line. Virus numbers are being inflated so that hospitals can get more money. Facts are being skewed.
How much truth is in what people are saying?
How did we get to this point?
Psalm 51:5 says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Sin likes to only see the negative. Sin clouds our judgement. Sin brought this virus into the world regardless of whether its release was intentional or not. Sin is sending the world into chaos.
So where does that leave us?
After the 500th conspiracy theory I heard about COVID-19 it got me thinking about the one source I could trust. The one place, I could find hope instead of fear.
God’s Word.
Isaiah the prophet reminds us in Isaiah 40 that we live in a world that is constantly changing. Plants grow and die, beauty fades but in all that there is one constant that we can count on, the Bible.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of the Lord stands forever.
-Isaiah 40:8
Finally! An anchor to hold on to in this storm!
A couple chapters later we find this:
I the Lord speak truth;
I declare what is right.
-Isaiah 45:19
Isn’t that what we are longing for? A message that we can completely trust? Look no further.
As a follower of Christ, you have what so many people in this world do not! God has given you his unshakable word that endures forever. Promises that you can depend on.
I am not saying you dismiss government guidelines and totally forget that this virus exists. What I am saying is that you know the end of the story.
*Spoiler alert!*
God wins!
Wouldn't you like to fill your head with absolute untainted truth? Wouldn’t you like to be completely confident in the message that is presented to you?
Turn off the news. Trust in the One whose words will live on long after you are gone. Be confident in this time of confusion.
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