Masks of Protection

In our current circumstances, we can pray for God to be glorified and recognize His power at work in our lives. 2nd Thessalonians 3 says:
1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,
2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.
3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Think about that image of the word of the Lord, living and active, as we read in Hebrews chapter 4, running "swiftly," and being glorified.  There is great power contained within the words of the Lord and protection as well.  That is a theme of this passage.  We can rest on the promises of God, rely on His faithfulness, and trust Him for protection.  Because of the spiritual resources He has provided, we can stand strong against the works of the enemy, intended to destroy: His Word shows us the way to life.

+++++

In the 6th chapter of Ephesians, the Bible outlines for us what we know as the armor of God,
recognizing that God has given us resources for our spiritual protection:
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, there have been some unusual "hotspots," where there has been an high number of cases that have been reported.  One of those is Albany, Georgia, which is located in southwestern Georgia, the home of Sherwood Baptist Church and Alex and Stephen Kendrick, known for their compelling Christian movies, such as War Room, Fireproof, and their latest, Overcomer.  In fact, by watching several of those movies, you see quite a few sites in Albany, including the local hospital, which is now in the midst of treating an unusually high number of Coronavirus patients.

Sherwood Baptist Senior Pastor Michael Catt tweeted out not long ago:  "...@SherwoodChurch has a can do spirit, bathed in prayer. We aren’t afraid to swallow the big frog 1st. Our people have a 'what’s next Lord?' Spirit - even when surviving 3 natural disasters & this virus in less than 3 years."

Albany and Dougherty County issued an early Shelter-in-Place order and has been among the counties in Georgia with the most deaths.  In fact, according to AJC.com:

Of the 86 counties to report at least one death from COVID-19, Dougherty remained the hardest hit with 78, followed by Fulton with 52 and Cobb with 36. Gwinnett, Richmond and Paulding recorded two deaths since noon Monday, tying for the most in the update.

Dougherty ranks 27th in population in the state, yet it and the county where Atlanta is - Fulton, are the top two Coronavirus counties in Georgia.

So how does this happen? Again, we go to the AJC website.  Jamie Dupree wrote in mid-March:

It was not immediately clear how the virus had been brought to Albany, but officials had floated the idea that funerals for two people who died earlier this week may have further spread the Coronavirus.

Into this danger zone, Mark Green decided to make a 180-mile trip from Atlanta to Albany to deliver hope, according to television station, WALB, to deliver masks to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital there. The article says that:

Mark Green wants medical professionals at Phoebe to know that they aren’t alone in this fight against COVID-19.

Medical professionals said they intend to use these new inspirational masks to continue to fight the virus.

The article quotes Green as saying, “It was placed on my heart. God placed these on my heart not only to assist in constructing these masks but at the same time making sure these masks get in the right hands as soon as possible..."

These masks were made by people from several areas of the state, including the choir from Charles Stanley's church, First Baptist of Atlanta.  The article states: "They created over 200 inspirational masks in just six days to protect hospital staff and patients."  Hospital communications director Ben Roberts said, “These masks are awesome. We can use them in a couple of ways. Everybody in the hospital now is always wearing a mask. So, these homemade masks will be good for that...” 

Green said, “The important thing about this mask is that it has inspirational messages and uplifting Bible scriptures that ease and hopefully give the patients comfort and reinsurance..." and indicated that masks will be used in other facilities in the state.

An earlier story from WALB had provided this quote from Green:

"After this virus is over with and it will be over with, we pray that it will be over with, this mask can still be used throughout the year. And it’s beneficial for example for those individuals who are having surgery or having some type of medical procedure. It’s comforting to know that when they look up at the doctor’s eyes that they now not only see the doctor but they also see what’s in front of the doctor, which is a Bible scripture which will give him or her peace and comfort,” said Green.

That certainly is a fabulous image, and can communicate about a beneficial sort of mask that we can wear.  No, not the type of mask that is talked about in terms of personality and covering up our real selves. I want to share about the notion of God's protection.

These Albany health care professionals are wearing masks that apparently have Scripture references on them.  When we face the spiritual virus of sin and attacks of the enemy, we can follow the example Jesus set in Matthew 4, using the word of God - as He said, "It is written."  The power and truth of God's Word enable us to overcome the evil one.

We can also make sure that we are protected by the armor of God.  There are six pieces mentioned in Ephesians 6, and as it's been pointed out, one of them - the sword of the Spirit: God's Word - is the only offensive one.  So, while abiding in God's protection, we can skillfully and diligently study, apply, and speak the Word of God.

There are also the angels of God - supernatural beings who are appointed to protect the children of God.  I would dare say very few have actually seen an angel visibly, but we can perhaps see where they have been in our lives, protecting us from danger, perhaps diverting us from a situation that could have caused physical harm or taken our lives.  We can be thankful that God is our protector.