Fear in the Covid World
What does the bible say about fearfulness and what promises can we rely on in scripture to help us negotiate these fears? Romans 8: 35-39 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”KJV
So nothing can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. Yet we can’t see God and we struggle to have faith in a God that no one else can see either. Even though, any believer worth their salt can vouch that they have seen the hand of God in their lives. That they have seen specific prayers answered and experienced the attacks of Satan at a physical and spiritual level. To their minds and to my mind the bible checks out one hundred percent. Their is no doubt of the Creator or His creation or that humanity is His handy work. We have no need to fear.
An example of the awesome power of
the Living God and His Heavenly host is given in II Kings chapter six
verses 15-18 “When the servant of the man of God
got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and
chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we
do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet
answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with
them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord,
so that he may see.” Then the Lord
opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of
horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down
toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord,
“Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with
blindness, as Elisha had asked. NASB
Even when we think we’re sunk. God is there behind the scenes holding our hand, sending support, carrying us when He needs too. We may not be able to see God or His powerful host but be assured He and they are there, ready to helps us in ways that we cannot even imagine.
Sometimes we go fearfully astray. Even on those occasions God loves us, forgives and makes everything turn out alright in the end. King David of Israel coveted the wife of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba. He sent Uriah to the front line of the battle and there he was killed. David then took Bathsheba to be his wife. God sent his prophet, Nathan to see David and confront him about this terrible situation. ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. II Samuel chapter 12 verses 8-10 recounts God’s judgment to Daniel “I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife..”NASB
It seems like David’s in real trouble this time and that he will never live this misdemeanour down. David repents. II Samuel chapter 12 verses 13-14 “Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”NASB
God has forgiven David’s sin and
he will not die but there will be consequences. David’s first child
with Bathsheba died. II
Samuel chapter 12 verses 15 – 23 “Then the Lord
struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was
very sick. David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David
fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his
household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground,
but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. Then it
happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of
David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said,
“Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he
did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child
is dead, since he might do himself harm!” But when David saw that
his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child
was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And
they said, “He is dead.” So David arose from the ground, washed,
anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house
of the Lord
and worshipped. Then he came to his own house, and when
he requested, they set food before him and he ate. Then his servants
said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the
child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you
arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I
fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord
may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has
died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to
him, but he will not return to me.” NASB
So why have I shared this story from the Old Testament with you as a testimony against fearfulness? Well King David was the Lord’s anointed King of Israel. David sinned grievously against God by arranging a murder and stealing another man’s wife. If you or I did that we would be in prison. But because David was God’s anointed, God forgave him but brought consequences of his actions upon him. David repented and sought God’s forgiveness and with prayer and fasting asked that God to spare the child. The child died and there were consequences further down the timeline of David’s reign as well. Great sadness and more loss.
We also are God’s anointed in Christ Jesus. The love, and incredible forgiveness, that God showed David he will show to us. Yes even murderer’s are forgiven in Christ Jesus. They still face the consequences of their actions in this world but God is merciful. If you read the story of King David’s life in the books of Samuel, Chronicles, Kings and the book of Psalms you will read of David’s great depression and fearfulness and how his deep relationship with God profoundly changed his life and carried him on to greatness. Yet like us he was only a broken man but like him we have no need to fear because those in Christ Jesus are the children of God.
A relationship with God through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, is available to you also. You never need to be fearful when you belong to such a wonderful caring Father in heaven. God’s blessings are there for you at any time and even when you think God isn’t there then the armies of God can be all around you as they were for Elisha and Gehazy.
You need not fear at all. Mark chapter 16 verse 18 says “They will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” NASB So those afraid of vaccinations or in need of healing might take note of that wonderful promise of God.
In the book of Hebrews the author
discusses faith in God and describes how some of the nation of
Israel’s founders believed on God and it was counted to
them as faith. Faith is the
means of Salvation for those
who believe that Christ Jesus bore their sins upon the Cross at
Calvary. If you have faith you need no longer be afraid because you
belong to God. Hebrews
chapter 11verses 1-9 Now faith is confidence in what we
hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the
ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe
was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out
of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than
Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well
of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is
dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not
experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him
away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased
God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone
who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards
those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things
not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his
faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness
that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to
a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went,
even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his
home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he
lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of
the same promise. NASB
You need only believe in God and that Christ Jesus bore your sin upon the Cross and your belief will be counted as faith by God. Your faith will be counted as righteousness and by the Law of Faith you will have Salvation. You need not fear. Only believe and God will support you in your every day life.
Joshua was a leader of the nation of Israel who led the people to conquer the land of Canaan. He took the reigns of power after Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt had died. He was fearful of the task before him but God encouraged him with these words. Joshua chapter 1 verses 1- 9 “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ESV We as Christians do not follow the law on tablets of stone. God’s law is in fact written on our hearts and revealed in our hearts as the person of Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, by the Holy Spirit of God. Thus we have a permanent helper to comfort and guide us in following the will of God. We need not fear at anytime.
Finally, I would share two last scriptures. Romans chapter 8 verse 28 which says this “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” ESV So all things work together for good who are walking in line with God’s will and who love God. Having a strong prayerful relationship with God through Christ Jesus and knowing the presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit of God is the most important defense against fear that anyone can have. Also, remember Isaiah chapter 26 verse 3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” ESV Constantly stay in communion with God. Speak to Him in prayer at any time and seek to do His will and that which is right with God in Christ Jesus.
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