What a weird time to be in currently in this world. My first
ever pandemic experience! With school being out for the rest of the spring,
I’ve had MUCH more time to do things and spend time wisely. I am loving being
at home since I’m naturally a homebody (not so much anymore since I’ve started
driving). Even though I’m not going anywhere, probably you can say too, that
there is not enough time in the day STILL to do what I want to accomplish! If
you know anything about me, I am a planner, VERY detail-oriented (especially in
telling stories, I get that from my Mama lol), and have a strict routine and
structure to almost everything I do. I THRIVE off of productivity!
At first, this COVID-19 situation was pretty unnerving when
school began to cancel and all, but by the grace of God; He has given me a
great peace to know that He previously has, and still has the whole world in
His hands! Are you singing it in your head now too? Another thing about me is
that I LOVE morning time and defiantly a morning person. Since school has been
out, I wake up somewhere been 8-9:30 AM. I fill up on God’s Word, then I go for
a beautiful walk around the school near my house and usually listen to some of my
favorite podcasts if it is a pretty day. Something I have earnestly been
praying about recently is to slow down when I read anything. Whether it be the
Bible, a book, an article, or an online post. Since I am a check-list type
person, I miss out on grasping and retaining a lot of what I read, because most
of the time I read, I’m just looking forward to getting it done so I can start
on something else. I despise being that way! However, in this time of isolation
the Lord has worked in me to take more time out of my day to sit down and
solely focus on Him.
A few days ago, I began reading John Piper’s book titled Don’t
Waste Your Life. What better time to start a book like that now, right?
This book was written 17 years ago in 2003. I say that because one section of
the book I came across struck me the other night. Mr. Piper titled this
paragraph in chapter three of this book, “Christ Bought Every Good Thing and
Every Bad Thing That Turned for Good”. God seemed to highlight this for me as
Mr. Piper explains, “One of the reasons we are not as Christ-centered and
cross-saturated as we should be is that we have not realized that everything-
everything good, and everything bad that God turns for the good of His redeemed
children- was purchased by the death of Christ for us. We simply take life
and breath and health and friends and everything for granted. We
think it is ours by right. But the fact is that it is not ours by right. We are
doubly undeserving of it” (Piper, 51). I verbally said “wow”. It is AMAZING how
God works things together.
This point might be small, but it is SO on my heart right
now. Mr. Piper had no idea that this girl would be sitting here reading a book
that was published just around the time she was born, experiencing this global
pandemic, and who had recently just started a blog! As you have probably heard
around the internet or churches across the world, many have said that God is
using this time where we have nothing to do, nothing to fill in the background
noise we are so used to hearing, to expose the idols seated on their throne in
our hearts. I agree with that 100% and that God is using this extremely
uncomfortable time to open up our eyes and SEE that this time is a blessing!
Hearts are returning. People are crying out. People have lost their jobs.
Parents are struggling while becoming unexpected teachers to their children.
People are absolutely desperate. “Heal Your land God, heal Your people!”
This time is not a time to panic or ask, “where is God in all of this?” or “why
would He allow this?” First of all, this world is NOT ours! As Mr. Piper said
above, we do not obtain anything by our own right. (2 Corinthians 3:5) Second
of all, Christ died for this exact moment in time. Satan thinks he can divide us
brothers and sisters apart from each other and God’s church apart from Him and
ALSO from Christ during this time with Easter coming up this Sunday and disrupt
our thinking during this holy week. Think again Satan! Christ died for hearts
to come and know him RIGHT now. There is such comfort resting in the promises
of God, especially in Romans 8 where Apostle Paul proclaims in verse 35, “Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” … Verse 37, “No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved
us.” Also, classic John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me
you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take
heart; I have overcome the world.” He proved it on the cross. It. Is.
Finished.
I was reading Psalm 78 the other day (which I encourage you
to read after this!) and it is titled “Tell the Coming Generation”. This Psalm
tells of God’s compassion on rebellious Israel. It was a guide to Israel during
that time to raise their children to be God-fearing and to not be like previous
generations that were not faithful to God. Starting in verse 9 the psalmist
tells of the forgetful generation. Verses 13-16 show God’s generosity and
guidance as He led His people. Then in verse 17 and so on, the psalmist tells
that yet, the people sinned even more against God. God who gave them everything
they needed. The verse that stood out to me the most was verse 22, “… they did not
believe in God and did not trust his saving power”. I immediately
questioned, how could Israel, God’s chosen people, not believe in the
Father who did unfathomable things for them like splitting a sea so they could
walk through it safely! (v.13) Or the God who rained down manna on them so that
they might eat in abundance? (v.24-25) Yet then I thought, we are doing
the same in this current crisis. We feel as if there will not be a light at the
end of this Coronavirus tunnel. The first thing our mind goes to is how will we
get through this? We must remember that He graciously gives His children what they need in abundance. We simply forget where our help comes from, like Israel.
I mention all of this to say, to those who are in Christ, don’t
waste this time. In the years to come, we will tell our children and
grandchildren of this historical pandemic we lived through in 2020. What will
you tell them that you gained from this time? Will you tell of how God was
glorified through this time by His sheep being led back to Him, or that you
were just praying that God would end this so that we could get back to our
everyday lives? J.C Ryle once said, “Health is a good thing; but sickness is
far better, if it leads us to God”. I feel that we are now seeing the beauty
knowing God is working everything according to His sovereign will (Ephesians
1:11). When it seems as if we don’t hear Him, we are to rest in knowing He
hears us. This world is not ours, and praise God it isn’t! Much love and
praying for you in this time!
Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in hope, be patient in
tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
