He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. Ahhh…young love, and the way simple petals on a flower could predict whether you were loved. Well, a few months back, as things were shutting down because of the pandemic, the governors of each state were tasked with telling us what was essential and what wasn’t. And like those flower petals, some of us found ourselves being classified as essential, while others of us were deemed nonessential.
Since then, there’s been a lot of talk about essential versus nonessential. I’m sure hindsight will show that we could have been a little more tactful when categorizing people’s entire lives into one of those two columns, but alas, 2020 vision seems to be mostly lacking. For example, when the lockdown first started to roll out, the very House of God, the church, was pretty quickly labeled nonessential, like it really didn’t matter. As a pastor, I know there’s no more powerful force on earth for change than Jesus Christ.
So, what’s essential for us to get through this pandemic, not only unscathed, but maybe even better than when we entered it?
Grace
Yes, grace. (Were you expecting something more?) God’s grace is enough, and scripture makes that really clear.
Before this whole nutty thing hit, maybe things were going well for you. No crisis, no conflicts to speak of; everything was lined up nicely. You were healthy, prosperous, and everything was pretty much smooth sailing. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Coronavirus hits.
So what do you do when a hurricane-force storm hits? And it’s not just a “regular” storm, but it’s one like no one’s ever seen. And the waters are filling up your boat, and you’re pretty sure you’re going to sink.
Nothing looks the way it did before. 2020 is definitely not 2019.
You Are Not Alone
It may feel like you’re alone, but Scripture says you aren’t. If you have “bent the knee” to Jesus Christ, you’re a son or daughter of the living King, and He’s there with you.
We read in Acts 27: 13-44 that a mighty storm hit when Paul was at sea on his way to Rome. When everyone else was panicking, he was able to stand up and encourage everyone. He told them to take courage, that none of them would lose their lives, even though the ship would go down, because an angel of God had told him. That’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?!
It’s been said that you can’t direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails, and I believe that’s what Paul was saying. And it’s exactly what he did, because he knew that God was with him.
Four Powerful Words That We Need to Embrace
“God is with you.” Don’t just accept this; really embrace it. God was with Paul, and God is with you, even in this time of social distancing.
How was Paul able to be so confident? God revealed to Paul something that nonbelievers do not understand. God is able to take a situation of pain and hardship and use it as an opportunity for the gospel. He takes that which is meant for evil and turn it for good. He does it all the time.
Paul was conscious of the presence of God in the face of danger. He knew that God was right there with him, and God’s with us in this time as well. God will always give us what we need when we need it. And I’m telling you, God’s grace is what we need, and that His grace is enough.
Paul also had what he referred to as a thorn in his flesh. It was presumably some kind of physical disability or illness, and he asked the Lord three times to remove it. God’s answer to Paul is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9. “My grace is sufficient for you.” Sometimes the healing will come, and by all means, pray for it. Pray for it more than once, just like Paul did. But there are other times when God will say, “My grace is sufficient.” Instead of a healing, He will personally be there in a sufficient and powerful way. It’s then you’ll find God’s grace actually is enough. Like Paul, I hope you can be reassured of this, and in turn, you can reassure others. God’s got this. God’s in control.
Rest Assured
If you’ve been alive more than a few years, you know that life’s going to throw you some curveballs, and you might say, I don’t get this. Everything was tracking along just fine; I just don’t get why this happened. You might even ask God why. In times like this, just remember: You are not alone. The Lord is standing next to you, and He cares for you. Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” It might not always be smooth sailing, but you will have a safer ride. And one day, when you get to the other side (Heaven), you will say, this is good. And everything I went through is not even worthy of being compared with the glory that I’m seeing now. We serve a really, really good God.
So, you can take heart in the face of uncertainty, of loneliness, of sheltering in place because of one thing: You’re aware of God’s presence with you. He will never leave you or forsake you, and His grace is sufficient for you, even when things go wrong.
If you’re going through a time of stress right now and feeling like the world has belittled you and that you’re not essential to God, know that you are. He loves you and cares about what you’re going through.
Check back here again for more discussions on topics to help you lead the life God has called you to. Also, be sure to check out my YouTube page for relevant and timely videos, and participate in the online worship experiences at The Summit on Sundays at 9am & 11am Mountain time.
Until next time: 24The Lord bless you and keep you; 25the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26the Lord lift up his countenance to you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
~Pastor Rob
aka, “P-Ro”