Combating the Virus

The apostle Paul spoke into times of fear and uncertainty in the lives of the believers at Corinth, and
pointed His readers and listeners to the power of God. In 1st Corinthians 2, we find these verses:
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

In verse 3, Paul is very frank about the powerful emotions that we can experience - feeling weak and fearful, even to the point of trembling.  When we encounter those responses, we have to be careful that we are turning to and relying on the power of God.  The wisdom of this world cannot penetrate the heart and give us lasting confidence and strength - we need God's perspective and His power to enable us to properly navigate the suffering we endure.

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In our hardships and in life's interruptions, we can know the guiding hand of the Lord and be aware
of His power and presence. 2nd Corinthians 6 states:
3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.
4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings...

Paul then transitions to call attention to spiritual resources available to the child of God.

As we continue to hear about the spread of the coronavirus around the world and have even received word of cases and deaths here in America, it is a healthy thing to have a Biblical perspective on what has become a health crisis.

Greg Laurie, who is heard on A New Beginning weekdays at 2:00 p.m. on Faith Radio, brought some insight on the virus in a recent sermon at his church, Harvest Christian Fellowship in California.  On the Harvest ministry website, there is a quote from an Instagram post:

“There seems to be a lot of fear in America right now, especially in the light of COVID-19,” Laurie wrote Friday in an Instagram post. “Listen, the promises of God are still true! God is bigger than the Coronavirus!”

He went on to say:

“Listen to the medical experts and take appropriate measures (wash your hands, etc.) But we need to replace our fear with faith and pray for our nation, that God would protect us. Phil. 4 reminds us, ‘Don’t worry about anything and pray about everything!’”

That post also had a video clip from Laurie, who is quoted as saying in the video, “In some ways I think the viral fear about it may be worse than the virus itself..."

The article stated:

Laurie called his congregation to do three things regarding COVID-19:

1. Be practical about hygiene and safety
2. Be prayerful for God’s protection
3. Be proclaiming the gospel 

He also offered prayer for protection for our nation and for the Vice President's efforts in controlling the virus.

CBN reported last month that in response to the virus:

Thirty ethnically diverse leaders joined Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Dr. Ronnie Floyd Thursday for a 30-minute phone conference call held from SBC headquarters in Nashville.

"I want to remind all of us on the call, that regardless of how despairing the news may be, or some of the hope that may be even lost in your heart, that there is a God Who lives, there is a God Who cares, there is a God Who is with you everywhere you go," Floyd said.

Floyd added: "Pray for breakthroughs - not only for churches, pastors and the ill, but also breakthroughs in medicine and those people caring for the ill..."

By the way, the pastor and group from 3Circle Church in Fairhope, according to Baptist Press, has tested negative for the virus, but there is uncertainty about when they will be able to be released to return home.  Meanwhile, Baptist Press reports that "the International Mission Board's coronavirus task force and senior leadership recommend that mission volunteers from U.S. churches postpone international mission-trip travel through April 30. This date could be extended and will be reevaluated by April 15."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a checklist for community- and faith-based organizations.  These measures include updating an emergency operations plan, identifying a place in order to separate those who are sick, developing a communication plan, and considering the scheduling of events, if necessary, and having necessary prevention supplies.  And, there are commonsense measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of the virus:

• Frequently wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow.
• Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Stay home when sick.

Ronnie Floyd encouraged people to pray for breakthroughs, and I think that is a good word for these days, especially concerning the Coronavirus.  We can also consider personal breakthroughs in our own lives, areas in which we desire to see God work, prompting the question, "What is the breakthrough you are praying for?"  Perhaps it is victory over a particular sin area, maybe it's the repair of a relationship, or even the need for wisdom and clarity in a difficult challenge.  We can trust the Lord to come through according to His will and for His glory.

There may be some inconveniences ahead; but we can depend on the Lord to give us the grace and strength in order to navigate them effectively.  In the midst of those detours in life, we can consider that God is continuing to do His work in us.