Can God Be Found In The Midst Of A Pandemic

In the middle of the ongoing pandemic many people are hurting, asking questions, and seeking help. Since the pandemic struck we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of overdoses, call to suicide prevention lines,  and arrest for domestic violence issues. Many of us are struggling to pay bills and in some cases meet basic needs. Others are struggling to try and make sense of what is going on in our world today. What this simply tells us is that people are searching for answers and guidance in a very turbulent society and world. 

Many of us are what I coin to be creatures of habit. We have a routine that we follow and we do not like it when that routine is disturbed. The pandemic has not only disturbed that routine but literally thrown it out the window and said now find a new normal. Anything and everything that we trusted to always be there has been either fully or partially removed. And it is difficult to know where or to whom to turn. All of this has simply reminded me that our world can be changed in the blink of an eye and our foundation can be shaken to the core. 

So in the midst of this global pandemic and year of new and ever changing normals how can we find hope and security and know God is there. The answer is that even in the midst of the most horrific of circumstances God can still be found. It is in times like these that as I stated earlier people are looking for answers. They are needing someone to help them make sense of it all. 

In order to do so we must understand the promises and assurances God has made clear to us through HIS written word. 

• God will never leave us (Joshua 1:9)
• God has a plan for every life (Jeremiah 29:11)
• Assurances of salvation (John 3:16; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13)
• Christ gives us strength to carry on ((Philippians 4:13)
• Heaven awaits God’s faithful (John 14:2; James 1:12)

In today’s world more than ever people are questioning anything and everything. But the one thing that we can be assured of is that God keeps his promises. He does not lie and is working to use everything in our lives for our good but HIS glory. It is ok to have questions. It is ok to search for answers. For believers we can find comfort and solace, hope and encouragement through the Holy Bible, prayer, and in worship. And for those who do not know the Lord they too can find the answers that they seek by coming to God and seeking Christ as their savior. 

So today, I’d like to encourage you to not seek answers in the things and ways of the world because they simply do not last. Seek God first in any and every area of your life. Put your faith and trust in God and you’ll begin to see your life change and in doing so you can bring others along with you.

Foundations of Ebb and Flow

When my wife and I were dating she loved going to concerts and still does. Unfortunately, she enjoyed a different type of music than I did back in those days. I was more of a KISS and Journey guy. My wife loved Airplane and Barry Manilow type of stuff. I remember that we went to a Manilow concert once and I am pretty sure that I was the only guy there in the crowd. But in love we make sacrifices for our loved ones. 

The cool thing about music is that it brings people together and the really great songs have a great beat, cool tune, and great musicians. But most of all they have a great Ebb and flow to the lyrics and instruments. Kind of like those jingles that are just so ridiculous and stupid that they get stuck in your head and you sing or hum it all day.

I have found throughout life that our daily walk is kind of the same way. There is an evenness or comfort or flow to our lives. We like to have a semblance of normalcy and dare I say routine. We are creatures of habits albeit them bad or good. 

It seems that in 2020 nothing has been declared off limits of safe from the dreaded word change. My wife and I found out recently that our neighbors beloved little dog has acquired COVID and passed due to other issues that were related. That simply reminded me that this year of all years has been one of several high tides and many low tides where things were just in a total state of flux and uncertainty. 

In times like these it is important for believers to stand firm in their faith and to become more diligent in their devotional reading, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. Jesus addresses this in Matthew 7:24-27, where he speaks of two different men who had built a house. The one man built his upon a foundation of sand and the other on rock. He then describes the winds, rains, and floods came and in the end only one house stood after it was all done. If you guessed the one built upon the rock you are correct. 

The foundation is the most important aspect and feature of any building or home. If the foundation is not constructed correctly or on proper materials then the dwelling will eventually have severe issues and if not addressed the foundation and dwelling will collapse. 

The same thing is true for believers. If we do not maintain the foundation or pillars of our faith then we too can falter and drift apart from God partially or completely, as I noted in the beginning 2020 has been a very turbulent year and in some places people are still not allowed to worship together or are having services online. And keeping ourselves plugged can be more difficult. So it is vital to stay strong in our faith and to keep encouraging one another to keep praying, keep up with devotional reading and bible study, and to keep our foundation strong. I pray that we can do so and in doing so our faith will be much stronger and hopefully we can bring others along the way. 

Lord, thank you so much for loving us and sending your son to die for our sons. God, we are living in difficult times and we need you more now than ever. God, open our hearts to lean on you, to pray to you, to read your word, and to fellowship with other believers. Lord, help us to continue to build our foundation upon you and our salvation. Lord, help us to to keep you in our sights and to always look to heaven for answers in everything that we may face. In the name of Christ, Amen.

God bless you and know that our thoughts and prayers are with you!