The LORD has made everything for its purpose (Proverbs 16:4); Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6); Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
What a time we are in right now. What a season it is. A moment of pause. Maybe this is a time of realization, a time of reflection. Maybe this is a time you have longed for but couldn’t break away from what you e called normal. Maybe you hate it and can’t wait for this to be over. Though I think in some ways we are all ready for this to be over. Whether it means getting back to our “normal” or not, just being able to sit and dine in a restaurant, go to the beach, or just make a simple grocery store run may be a welcomed return for most. The verses aforementioned are heard a lot right now. You’ve probably said them to some you know and maybe they’ve been mentioned to you. For some, they may be hard to hear right now. For others, it may be just what you need to hear. Whatever this time brings to you, know that God is in control. Though this may be a time of struggle for some, I don’t know what it is, but there is a plan and God knows what it is. Is this a time of God’s wrath? I don’t know. Is it a time of justice? Don’t know. I do know that God is calling to me, and He calls to you. He wants for all to be assured of a future with Him. He longs for that and His love for us is like no other. Maybe this is His way of getting your attention. I don’t know those answers.
We are all encountering something for the first time and we all will cope in our own ways. Maybe you’ve lost your job, lost a loved one. Maybe you’re a healthcare worker, police officer, essential employee who hasn’t seen their children, husband, wife, parents for over a month. We all have our own situation and it is unique to you. I know at a time like this for many hearing that God has a plan can be hard to swallow. Hearing that He works all things for good can seem like a fairytale. But I can assure you He does. We have to remember that it is not our will but His. To believe in God, in Christ, is to believe in something greater. It is to believe that this world is not all there is. It is to believe in a plan which is greater than you and I. In times of unknown I often think of one of my favorite stories in the Word and that is the story of Joseph. Cast out by his own brothers, sold into slavery. Yet he went on to become one of the most powerful men in Egypt and saved his family in a time of great unrest, a time of famine. He could have very easily taken revenge on his brothers, could have given up on his situation. But he did not. He continued to be faithful to God and because of this he was blessed and went on to bless many more.
I may not know your situation. I may not know or understand the pain some may be feeling right now, but I do know that God loves you. I know that at some point this will end and we will all get back to whatever “normal” will be in the future. Will it look like “normal” of the past? I don’t know, but I know the future is unchanged. For one day Christ will return. I know that the future offers His love for us. I pray that you stay healthy and safe during this time. I pray that if you are in need that you reach out for help, that you ask for prayer. I pray that you use this time to become closer to God, that you spend it on your knees in prayer. There is never a better time than now to get to know Him more. If anything, I know that this current pandemic has really enforced the idea that we never know what tomorrow will bring here in this world. But we can know that through faith in Christ, our future is secured.
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
~ Tim