4 Steps to Peace During a Pandemic
I am a schoolteacher. Like many teachers here in America, we find ourselves navigating the world of virtual teaching. I don’t mind the change and challenge, but it has been unsettling, like a hurricane that has no projected end. The measures against this pandemic have taken many of us by surprise. We really didn’t think it would get this serious. Just a short time ago it seemed so far away, didn’t it?
Now it’s here in the states, and with the virus has come an unprecedented response by government officials. Sports contests, weddings, festivals, concerts, all large gatherings have been shut down. Just. Like. That. This includes our gatherings to worship.
Now churches all over the world are told not to meet. Mattia Ferraresi wrote in the New York Times,
In an unprecedented step, Saudi Arabia suspended pilgrimages to the holy sites of Islam. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was closed after a coronavirus case was confirmed in the area.”
So, this virus and the mandates from governments isn’t only affecting American Christian faith, but all faiths all over the world. Isn’t that amazing? There’s no doubt in my mind that the prince of darkness is behind this virus and the fear that’s come with it. It might be able to stop us from meeting in large gatherings, but the coronavirus cannot stop our faith or our hope.
It is a sobering time. But it’s not the end. I believe this could actually be the beginning of many good things. Certainly, even though we’ve been advised to steer from large crowds, we haven’t been restricted from checking on our neighbors and opening our homes as places of worship and peace.
Peace Amidst the Pandemic
If this virus stirs fear in you, I want to encourage you to pray for peace. Take a deep breath and pray for God’s tangible peace. Prayer changes things. It changes us. In his article The Power of Prayer to Deal with Coronavirus Anxiety, Tony Perkins quoted the late Billy Graham, a man I consider a prophet in our time.
“We are to pray in times of adversity, lest we become faithless and unbelieving. We are to pray in times of prosperity, lest we become boastful and proud. We are to pray in times of danger, lest we become fearful and doubting. We are to pray in times of security, lest we become self-sufficient.” (USA Today)
The Power of Prayer
So many times we pray for safety and healing, which are very important prayers, but perhaps the greatest miracle in the midst of this fearful time is peace. Have you experienced the peace that passes all understanding? Paul told believers a long time ago:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ( NIV)
Be Thankful
Dispel fear with thankfulness in your prayers. Our God has been faithful; he is faithful, and he will be faithful. Grab a journal and write down all the times he proved his faithfulness in your life when you were afraid. Then write down the fears you hold today. When I ink my worries down, I can shut the book, set it aside, and give it to God. He has them.
4 Things to Do
- Pray
- Be thankful
- Check on your neighbors
- Meditate on God’s Word.
If fear wakes you up at night, turn on the light, grab your Bible, and turn to Psalm 91. This is one of the most wonderful Psalms to pray when life and peace are threatened. The Psalmist writes of finding shelter under the wings of God.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ( NIV)
Hide Under His Wings
How do we hide under God’s wings? How do we come to this place of assurance and protection? The answer lies in the phrase “find refuge". This phrase has been translated from the Hebrew word Hasah. As you read the definition of Hasah, notice the different meanings:
to flee (for protection), seek refuge; to trust in, confide in, hope in…this word is often used in the figurative sense of seeking spiritual refuge and putting trust in God. (Key-Word, NIV 1517)
I love the imagery of seeking refuge under God’s wings, but this beautiful picture meets reality with the definition, “putting trust in God.” It all goes back to believing and trusting the goodness of God. At times like these people ask how a good God can allow such suffering. But my answer to that question lies in words spoken by Jesus:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ( NIV)
He is a God of peace in the midst of trouble who promises never to leave us or forsake us. He promises to be with us in the fire, the battle, the disease, and the storm. Don’t forget. He is still God, and He is good.
Copyright © 2020 Andy Lee, used with permission.
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