This morning, while praying for the world
against the COVID-19 infestation, my wife felt impressed to read the
following passage from Joel:
"Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my
holy hill.
Let
all who live in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming.
It is close at hand, a day of darkness and
gloom,
a day of
clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
nor ever will be in ages to come.
Before them fire devours,
behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of
Eden,
behind
them, a desert waste--
nothing escapes them.
They have the
appearance of horses;
they gallop along like cavalry.
With a noise like that
of chariots
they
leap over the mountaintops,
like a crackling fire consuming stubble,
like a mighty army drawn up for battle.
At the sight of them,
nations are in anguish;
every face turns pale." (Joel 2:1-6 NIV)
Does this look
like our current COVID-19 dilemma or what: "All nations are in anguish"?
In Joel's day, the "army" was locust, destined
to eat all the crops. No one knew what to do. They are afraid for their
live and had no way to be saved. Our "army" coming against us today is
COVID-19, destined to eat far more than our crops!
This morning, as I
went into the bathroom, and I saw a fly. He was between the window
screen and the closed window pane. He was completely stuck, and all of
his efforts to escape were for naught. He was destined to die right
there between the screen and the window pane.
Sure, it was just a fly, but I felt pity for
it. It is, after all, God's creation. So I opened the window – only
about 20%, it is, after all, still winter in Canada -- and left it open
so that he could escape.
I didn't stay around
to watch him, but I know he didn't leave right away, because about 15
minutes later my wife wanted to know why the window was open... When I
told her, she informed me that the fly was still there.
The phone rang then, and after a two hour
conversation, I again checked on the fly, and he was gone. Free!
This story of
the fly spoke to me loud and clear. With the subject of any meaningful
conversation these days centering around COVID-19, it is obvious we are
all feeling despair, anguish, fear. We don't know much about this virus,
and what we do know is pretty scary. We feel trapped with no relief in
sight. But just like there was someone who opened the window to let the
fly escape, there is Someone who can deliver us! That Someone is the
Lord. When we put our trust in Him, He will always stand by us.
Let's remember, however, that the fly didn't
immediately escape when I opened the window. Why? Because he was blinded
by his ignorance.
We, too, can be
blinded by our anguish and fear. When this happens, we, too, do not see
that the hand of the Lord is reaching out to us, beckoning us to hold on
to Him so that He can give us rest.
How many times is the
word 'trust' mentioned in the Bible? I didn't know, so I did a search:
The word "trust" occurs 134 times in the Old Testament alone. They say
that when God repeats Himself, He's really trying to get our attention.
What about when He repeats Himself 134 times?
Yes, COVID-19 is all around us, but God says,
don't be afraid. Just like the fly was freed, you, too, will be freed.
How? By trusting completely in our Heavenly Father. We are His children
and He loves us more than we can comprehend.
Does this mean we
don't need to do anything to prevent the spread of COVID-19? Not at all.
We need to social distance. We need to stay home and stop the spread.
But while we're disinfecting our hands and wearing masks and changing
our clothes and washing them often, we are told to, "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 NIV)
Do you trust in our
Heavenly Father? Remember how Jesus died on the cross, so that we could
be in Heaven with our Father when it is our time. That's how much God
cares for us! Yes, be cautious. Do your part to stop the spread, but you
don't need to be afraid. You can rely on your Heavenly Father who is
with you, who is for you, who would do anything for you!
That fly didn't
realize it was out of prison, but eventually it felt the wind and it
knew it was freed. We can also be tied down by fear, or we can put our
trust in our Heavenly Father. Wherever you are, and whatever situation
you find yourselves in, our Father in Heaven is with you!
Remember the locust of Joel? Here's how THAT
story ended... "Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on
his people. The LORD replied to them, 'I am sending you grain, new wine
and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you
an object of scorn to the nations.'" (Joel 2:18-19 NIV)
And that's the good
news for COVID-19 as well! There will be an end, and while we await the
fulfillment of that promise, we can rest in Him!
Rob Chaffart