In the Middle of a Pandemic… Our Response
Life has suddenly become so strange…no school, no office, no church, no visiting shopping centers, and no summer vacation. It is both upsetting, frustrating, and depressing at the same time. Even if you have to step out, it is with a mask…protecting our health and if you ask me, covering my identity.
Our response is mixed, Lord why, what wrong did we do? People are suffering, our elderly parents and grandparents are dying, please help Lord is our heart’s cry. It is also a time when we are helping each other, reaching out to those in need, and risking our own safety. Let us reflect on how people in the Bible responded to unprecedented situations in their life.
Abraham offering Isaac – Obedience
I wonder what would have been going on in his mind when God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. And the words the Lord uses, your son, your only son! What was Abraham’s response? Implicit obedience to God…he just obeyed God’s voice. In these strange times, are you listening and heeding to the voice of the Lord and submitting implicitly to His will? The ram will follow. But that is the first step.
Moses and the Red Sea – Childlike faith
I am always amazed at the courage of this man…he had a whole town of Israeli people behind him and he stands at the Red Sea and says “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exo 14:14,15
That was childlike faith and trust in the Lord who brought them out of Egypt. Such calm in the midst of the storm! And the Lord, “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.” Exo 14:19,20
Look at the Lord’s protection, the angel moved from front to behind and so did the pillar of cloud shielding His people from the enemy. What an assurance of protection! Trust in the Lord, have faith, nothing will happen in your life without His permission. Stay calm and stay strong.
Esther – Risk in the face of adversity
This is a time to applaud all our unsung heroes, standing in the frontline and fighting the virus. Risking their own safety like Esther did. She could have just kept silent but she faced the storm. Please follow rules and regulations, but whenever and in whatever manner you can help the needy, please do so even if it seems slightly risky. The lockdown has caused poverty in so many lower-middle-class families and we need to help those in need.
The list in the Bible is endless…Daniel’s faith in the lion’s den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s dedication, Joseph’s faith and integrity in the most unprecedented situations, Job’s loyalty when he lost all, Gideon, Paul, Peter, and the list goes on.
A Lockdown Challenge for all: kids, teens, and adults. Send in articles, bible studies, poems, crafts, paintings on the theme ‘My response to the Coronavirus Pandemic as a child of God’ and the best entries will be featured on our site. Please send to entries.hebrontimes@gmail.com with your name, age or category (kids, youth, or adult), and the church branch that you attend. Please do not send pictures of charity done, any artwork or article or anything of that kind is fine.
