Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Mid-Week Message - Caring Through Fear

"The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything."  Psalm 103:19 (NLT) 

As I write this I pray that all who are reading are well and unaffected by the virus that has gripped this nation as well as the rest of the world.  I urge you to follow the guidelines set forth for your protection.  In doing so, you not only lessen the chances of you and your family contracting the illness, but also those of others in your community.  

The news reports are frightening and I understand how some would panic.  The unknown is always unsettling.  We have witnessed empty supermarket shelves for maybe the first time in our lives and that is because people are either scared of not having what they need or they are buying as much as they can in hopes of profiting from others who have no recourse other than paying high prices for supplies that should be readily available.  

This is a time when we need to be able to depend on each other.  1 Corinthians 10:24 admonishes, "No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."  We are to look out for each other.  I know that has become somewhat strange today when the motto seems to be "Me first".  The reality is that there are many individuals who have no one to turn to for help if they need it.  Countless senior citizens, classified as the highest risk group, live alone and need help bringing in groceries during this time.  They, and others who are alone, need to have someone to call if they get ill or maybe just to talk to when they are lonely.  Quarantine will make those who are already isolated feel more alone than ever.  Who will lay aside their own fear of infection to be a contact for someone in this situation?  

Fear can be paralyzing.  Because we are constantly hearing about the spread of this virus, our reaction will naturally be to look to our own well-being.  However, we still have to be aware of the needs of our neighbors.  The way to deal with the fear is to remember Who is in charge and Who is ultimately taking care of us.  The Lord has not been shaken from His throne!  Nor will He ever be.  He remains in control.  

Our trust in our Lord must be stronger than our fear of anything temporary here on earth.  As everything eventually does, this will pass.  We can use this time to strengthen our relationship with Him and with others.  It is a time for Christian love to shine bright as we make wise decisions about how to best take care of ourselves and our families and reach out to the needy in our communities.  Spend much time in prayer and ask for His guidance.  He will be faithful.  He always has been and He always will be.  That is the one thing that will never fail.  God bless!  

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