We’ve heard that God said, “Do not fear” 365 times in the Bible, one for every day of the week, right? That’s a lot of times! Now, granted, most of these were said to a specific person for a specific reason. Even so, the phrase was never said lightly and there are a lot of other promises in the Bible that back up the fact that we don’t have anything to fear.
Then comes 2020 and with it, coronavirus. There is talk about it everywhere. It’s all over the news. There are announcements at work, schools, daycare, stores and churches. There’s so much information and misinformation out there, it’s easy to be fearful.
God was not surprised by ANY of this. He knew a long time ago the list of things that currently threaten our peace of mind. He knew that the fear of the unknown can paralyze us.
Let’s look at a few things that we DO know – to fight the unknown. I’ve been reading a little book lately by Clint Byars called, “God Says ‘Yes’ to Over 3000 Promises. No, I’m not going to list all 3000! This is supposed to be a short blog post! But I’ll tell you some of my favorites:
- 2 Corinthians 1 – 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” ascends to God for His glory.
- 2 Peter 1 – 4 And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
- John 10 – 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me
- Colossians 2 – 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
- Proverbs 1 – 33 But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.
- John 14 – 27 I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
And I think my favorite is 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
This verse has become especially comforting now in the midst of what seems like chaos during this health emergency. There are four distinct parts to that verse that are relevant to us now.
- Not a fearful spirit: Fear can paralyze us and keep us from seeing where God wants to use us. And He definitely wants us to share peace right now.
- Power: Through Christ, we have power over the things of this world. We can use His power to shine bright and give hope when things seem dark and scary
- Love: There are a lot of people that need love right now. (as always, it just may be more obvious right now).
- Self-discipline: I doubt when Paul wrote to Timothy he was thinking about a virus. But we do need to be self-disciplined through this… wash your hands often and if you get sick, stay away from older people and those that have chronic health problems.
Focus on God and His many promises more than watching the news.
Oh, and wash your hands and don’t hoard toilet paper!
- Annie Nance
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