The fact that millions of people are quarantined didn’t take God by surprise. The Lord has delivered us through pestilence, disease, and outbreaks throughout history. Once again, humanity will make it through the coronavirus. Indeed, for those who are physically suffering, those families who have experienced death, and for those whom the downward economy is hurting, this is a trying time.
But this abeyance from ordinary life is not just about grieving it or being frustrated by it. Part of our success will come through endurance. As James says in the Bible, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
When this is over, it would be shortsighted of us not to have received all the spoils of this battle. When God completed the tenth and final plague in Exodus 12, the Egyptians were literally begging the Israelites to leave their land. They said, “Send them out of the land in hast, for…We will be dead” (vs. 33). God’s people wouldn’t leave without being blessed. Abraham foretold his nation’s oppression and promised hundreds of years earlier: “afterward they will come out with many possessions” Genesis 15:14). When the plague of the firstborn had taken its toll, it’s at that point God’s people “plundered the Egyptians” (12:37). Specifically, Psalm 105:37 states,
Then He brought them out with silver and gold,
And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.
The Israelites not only received the freedom they cried out to God for, but they were also handed rings, necklaces, and thousands of other expensive items for their journey. Here’s the key for us: God doesn’t want you to leave this pandemic empty-handed, either. Amidst the pain, discomfort, and trials of this season, look for what God wants to give you. Is this break giving you time to spend with your family? Do you want a new career and can now afford to dream of a new profession? Do you like your job but needed a break from its hectic schedule? For me, I am using this time to write my dating book, encourage friends, and do some much-needed reading that regular life gets in the way of.
Whatever the case, use this break, don’t let it use you. I believe God didn’t cause this modern plague, but He will use it–as he does all tragedies–for His glory. For one, it gives us time to pay attention to God. Don’t just twiddle your thumbs waiting for it to be over. God wants you to draw closer to Him. Ask the question, What does God want to teach you about Himself? When storms come, it always refocuses us on Christ. As speaker and writer Graham Cooke is fond of asking, “Who does God want to be in your life right now that He couldn’t be at any other time?” In other words, what aspect of God does He want to show you about Himself that could only be possible in this unique and challenging season of life? Spend time with this question.
Lest you think I preach the prosperity gospel, these times are tough. Tens and thousands of people are dying, and the numbers will grow before the damage is finished. Untold numbers are sick and suffering but are not counted in the statistics. And people around the world are not only dying from this virus but from many other diseases and injustices as we speak. Life is tough. But I’d be remiss in not reminding us that God is still in the redeeming business. He still sits on His throne. “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne” (Psalm 47:8).
Sometimes it takes work to receive from God. The rule for our relationship with Christ is to seek Him. Abraham had to move to a new country to get his blessing. Jacob had to wrestle with an angel. And Mary had to endure giving birth next to animals to bring our Savior into the world. I don’t know why roses are hidden among thorn bushes, why diamonds are forged under pressure, or why the most dramatic sunsets are after a storm. But I know God brings beauty from ashes, and that Christ will ultimately shine over coronavirus. These are not platitudes—they are the traits of our God.
I hope you come out of this time spiritually closer to God than you were before. Take time with your loved ones. Rest. I hope you are closer to your family at the end of this. Take all that He has for you in this season.
