Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things work together for the glory of God and for those that are called according to His purpose. That means, God uses everything. He will use the good, the bad, our sins, and yes, even a raging sickness.
People have asked the question whether God did this, and I don’t have an accurate answer to that, but what I do know is God does allow things to happen, and obviously, He has allowed this to happen. He’s God. The same God that spoke the world into order and breathed life into humans, is that same God who has allowed this virous to rage. But why?
Whether you believe it or not, whether you see it or not, whether you accept it or not, this world is a broken place and sickness and disease are part of that brokenness. And we are a very broken people. The problem is, many of us don’t see ourselves as broken or in need of a Savior.
Ephesians 4:18 says, “they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their hardness.”
There are many hard people out there, so hard, they cannot see truth even if it is right in front of them. They are blinded, lost, and destined for an eternal fate of darkness because of their rejection of God. But even so, God still is still trying to pursue the hardened hearts of this world simply because He loves them. Until He returns, He is in a constant pursuit of the lost.
9/11 was a day that nobody will ever forget. As Americans, our world was rocked in a way we never imagined or thought possible. The comfort of security ended abruptly. The blood of nearly 3000 lives stained our soil and over 6000 lives were injured. Our liberties had been attacked and our freedom forever threatened and nothing would be the same, until of course it was the same.
The days, weeks, and months after 9/11 left a vulnerable and frightened people – we realized, as in control as we thought we were, we were not. On September 16, the Sunday after 9/11, church attendance in New York spiked some 40% – a surge that also spread throughout the United States. Many lost people trying to understand the madness and chaos and find some shred of stability.
Nothing made sense. The reality of evil was at our doorsteps and encroaching in our homes and there was nothing we could do to stop it. Fear was a common denominator among American’s, and it was that fear that drove many looking for answers.
People were searching, hearts were open, people were hungry, and lives were changed. And for many, this was a spiritually life-altering time.
This horrific tragedy was not an act of God, it was an act of men, lost men. But this attack was no secret to God either because He knows the hearts of mankind. God allows people the freedom to choose truth, or a lie, to choose Him or reject Him. To choose the pursuit of holiness or the pursuit of happiness and those roads lead to two different places.
God still took this horrible, painful, evil tragedy, and used it because lives were saved during that awful time. Hearts were transformed and there was, what seemed to be, an awakening in the United States of America. Many people were calling on God and surrendering their lives, and many were turning back to Him, and heaven rejoiced.
However, overtime, we got comfortable again. The tragedy that was once on the forefront of the news, our minds, and our lives slowly began to dissipate. And the more normal things became, the less people needed God, and some turned back to their own ways. But God is still calling. He wants all of our heart for always, not just in a time of crisis. Total surrender cannot be for the crisis only.
9/11 was a wakeup call to the United States. The Coronavirus pandemic is a wakeup call to the world! He is pursuing the hearts of man. Don’t let this pandemic change you in just the moment, allow God to use this to radically transform the hardened heart.
The Bible prophesized of Jesus Birth 2000 years before it happened. Over and over throughout the Old Testament we saw the birth of Christ prophesized and then, Jesus came. And also, like prophesized, many rejected Him and still do.
Ironically, there are more prophecies of His second coming of than His first. Jesus is coming again and that is not a debatable statement, it is reality. But another reality is, He doesn’t want anyone left behind. He wants the hearts of mankind and for no one to perish.
When you stand before the throne, you won’t be given a pass for ignorance. You won’t be given a pass because you had a difficult upbringing. You won’t be given a pass because you are rich, beautiful, famous, athletic or powerful. There are no passes given because you are poor, addicted, sick or lonely. The only pass into the everlasting Kingdom of Heaven is by accepting the pass that Jesus provided through His blood and that window of opportunity is closing.
This Coronavirus, well, this too shall pass. And one day, so will your life, from here to the next. But you determine your final destination by choosing this day whom you will follow, a broken, fallen, lost world, or Jesus Christ.