As serious or even seriously misunderstood as Covid19 may be, it does not have to stop you from being you and it certainly doesn’t stop God from being God. God is good, all the time, and His mercy endures forever. You’ve likely recently experienced a conversation where the person you’re talking to jumps to a conclusion of Covid19 when you told them about a sniffle. That’s what the devil does too. If you have a simple symptom, he suggests the thought of something major. He turns a cyst into Cancer and a cough into Covid. The dreaded “C” words. (Dun, Dun, Dunnnn.) The truth is, it doesn’t really matter what it is. Christ is more powerful than any other “C” word or any other name. Phillipians 2:9 “…God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name…”
So, if you have been diagnosed with Covid19 or any other thing, here are some things I think you should know…
- Your God is greater! 1 John 4:4 declares, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” Simply put and to quote VeggieTales, “God is bigger than the Boogie Man.” In Mark 4:39, Jesus got up and rebuked the storm. If you are faced with the storm of Covid19 stand up and rebuke it. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The storms of life face all of us. Who you are and what you do is far more valuable and powerful than what comes against you.Psalm 34:3 says, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Have you ever wondered why there is so much talk in every media outlet about Covid19 and its negative statistics? Why not talk about the overwhelming number of recoveries? They are attempting to get people into agreement and magnify the problem together. Otherwise, it just won’t seem big. Don’t do it! Don’t agree with the advisories. Agree with God. Keep Him before your own eyes as greater than anything that can come against you.
- Your Faith works! Galatians 5:6 “…but faith which worketh by love.” Listen to this commentary note: But faith availeth–the faith in Christ; the faith which uses love as its medium and method of working. There is first faith in Christ; then the love of Christ. Matthew 9:29 says, “…according to your faith be it unto you.” You must function at your level of believing. You can only truly have confidence or trust in doing what you know in your own heart.Many people will advise you as to what to do; “Go to the doctor!” “Take this or that medicine.” “Don’t trust the doctor!” “Don’t take this or that medicine.” It can get confusing. So, what do you do? You hear from God and obey. In John 2:4, at the wedding in Cana, Jesus’ mother, Mary, said to his servants, “Whatever he tells you to do, Do It!” John 14:21 “The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.” Take confidence in obeying the instruction of the Lord. Follow His leading. “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” That’s what Jesus said in Mark 5:34. Why? Because fear is paralyzing. 1 John4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” Don’t be in fear; be in love. Your faith works by love and love obeys. Love on Jesus during this time and let him love on you and you will see your faith work.
- Have no shame! Psalm 43:5 says, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” And Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Shame and condemnation will cause you to hang your head down instead of lifting up your eyes (Psalm 121:1). It is a tactic of the enemy to cause you to look at sin, sickness, and self rather than Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We must keep our gaze fixed on Him who is our salvation (preservation, healing, deliverance, safety, soundness). In Numbers 21:8-9 we see the typology of Jesus in the serpent on the pole; “And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a standard: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the standard: and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.” Those that locked their eyes on the serpent on the pole lived. Keep your head up.In John 9 Jesus heals a blind man. (I highly recommend you read this amazing chapter.) Jesus’ disciples were looking at sin and whose fault it was rather than looking at the solution. Jesus basically said (vs 3, 4), “No one is at fault, but God’s glory will be seen.
I have been made aware of people within the church family that have been diagnosed with Covid19 or that are experiencing symptoms. What you may not have been aware of is that throughout the past 18 months there has nearly always been someone within our circles having Covid19. Some went through great lengths of protection, staying away from people, wearing masks, and even stayed away from church yet they still got it. And then there are those that have lived their life with no extra precautions: some have gotten Covid19, and some have not. The greater reality is that everyone has recovered.
The church remains open. We continue to do what we have done from the beginning; listen and obey. If you are sick, then you should stay home and recover. Let us know so we can minister to you. If you are well then you should come and assemble with the saints. The building is regularly sanitized, and the power of God is present to heal.
Looking forward to being with all of you,
Pastor Jonathan Friedt