COVID-19: GOD'S CALLING IN QUARANTINE PART 1

It's March 2020 and the world in on lockdown for COVID-19.
Please pray for those infected with the coronavirus, for their families, for those who have lost loved ones, for the medical staff working to save their lives, for those who cannot pay rent, for those without food, pray for those who have lost their jobs, for the world leaders and leaders of our nation that God gives them wisdom, for the children who don't have lunch because they aren't at school, for the elderly, for those stuck in a home with an abusive parent, family member, spouse, or partner, and pray for those without access to medical care. Please keep everyone safe by staying home and respecting the quarantine guidelines from  the CDC, your state, and the government. Remember to check in on your elderly neighbors, friends with anxiety, friends with financial struggles, and if you can, donate funds to a local food bank. If you have extra supplies like toilet paper, canned goods, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, etc. please share them with those around you in need. 

COVID-19: GOD'S CALLING IN QUARANTINE PART 1

In part one of this three part devotional series, we will be identifying a few of the problems we are facing amid covid 19 as people who serve God. we will ask the obvious questions: "what is God doing?", "why?", and "how can I do God's calling for my life if i'm quarantined in my house?"

​What is He doing up there?

Well, I think we can all agree this is a wild time to be alive.
It feels like a weird, bad, b rated, really scary movie and it won't end. 
So, especially if you're reading this, you obviously have a lot of time on your hands. If you love Jesus and are trying, in any capacity, to serve Him with your life, you're probably wondering:

a. what the he*k is going on 
b. what is God doing
c. how in the world does God expect me to fulfill His calling for my life when I'm out of toilet paper and locked in my house

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It's obvious to see that a lot of churches have had amazing opportunity to reach out to a broader audience than their congregation. Online services, online prayer groups, online life groups, online children's ministries, online Bible conferences, you name it, they've got it. I was watching a Bible conference the other evening and the speaker was at an event space that normally would seat around 1-2 thousand people and she was able to reach five point five thousand people because her event was held online for free.
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God is absolutely working through the Church, and the Church is stepping up. It's amazing and beautiful to see the Bride of Christ do what God calls us to do for the Jesus followers in the Body of Christ and the hurting world around us.
But, maybe you're wondering, and girl I was with you there too, "God, how am I supposed to do my ministry, reach out to the hurting world, step into my calling, etc. if I'm stuck inside for two weeks?" If you're like me, maybe your ministry event was cancelled because of COVID-19. Maybe it was a children's ministry event, ministry training, baptism, worship service, outreach event, or amazing, incredible service project and it was cancelled and you're asking God why He had you work so hard at your ministry, event, or project, fueled you with passion, gave you the resources, for it all to be washed away.
 Maybe it wasn't a vocational ministry event, but you aren't able to go to work and provide for your family or your breakout chance to do what you love has been cancelled. You were doing good, great, wonderful, amazing things, on your way to the top, praising the Lord all the while and working for Him, and it's no longer an option. How can you host a missions conference or lead children's ministry or recieve your on the job ministry training or do host your ministry's outreach event if you're stuck inside your house for two weeks? Let's just ask the question we are all wondering:
Why is this happening?

why is this happening?

Answer: I'm sure you'll be surprised to know that girl I have no idea.
I wish I could give you any reason why, but I don't know and no one else does either. I do know to the depths of my soul and marrow of my bones this: God is always good [Psalm 100:5], He is always faithful [1 Corinthians 1:9], He is kind [Isaiah 63:7], He is in control [Psalm 115:3], and He will never leave you [Isaiah 41:10]. Stay with me here, I know that can be irritating to hear when it seems like the world is literally ending, because it just sounds like empty, meaningless words with no solution to the problems that seem like they're drowning you. It's not just a cute thing to say or a fun phrase to embroider on a pillow, it's absolute truth from the Creator of the universe. God is in control of the universe. We cannot always change what is happening around us. It's so frustrating sometimes to not understand. The God who spoke the world into existence and who holds the universe in His hands operates on a litttllle bit of a different level than we do,  and He gives us the assurance that we can trust Him.

Isaiah 55:8-9"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Proverbs 21:30 "No human wisdom or understanding or plan
    can stand against the Lord."

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

Our God, in His loving kindness, gives us peace and comfort. He assures us that we don't need to fear, and commands us not to.

2 Corinthians 1:4 "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

2 Corinthians 1:7 "We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us."

Phillipians 4:7 "Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Many things in our lives are out of our control, however, we have those promises and hopes to comfort our souls and an all-loving, all-merciful God who will care for us, always. Even if there was nothing else, we always have the hope of eternal life, after this shadow of a life on earth, through Jesus's death and resurrection for our sins. 

2 Thessalonians 2:16 "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,"

Colossians 2:17 "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."

And, God gives us instructions on how to live and be, even when we can't change the world falling apart around us. 
Here is what else I can tell you without a sliver of doubt in my body:
God isn't done with you. Your calling isn't finished. Your job isn't done. Your ministry to the Lord isn't ruined. It may now be different, changed, or God may move you in a new direction, but it's not over.
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Romans 8:31 "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Also, God doesn't want you to waste any time. Like it or not, we all have a lot more time on our hands right now, and God does not want you to waste it, but use it to study His Word, worship Him, Pray, and work on what He is calling you to, right now.

part one reflections:

 In part one of this series, we identified some very real and scary issues regarding covid-19. We also identified that God is good, faithful, trustworthy, in control, loving, and that he will never leave us. Also, your ministry to god isn't over and God isn't done with you. This might be a frightening, stressful, difficult time for you, and it's absolutely not ideal, but our god comforts us and gives us peace beyond understanding.
we can use this time to spend time with god and seek his will for our lives. Don't waste this present time, as messy and hard as it may be. Thank God today for all He has blessed you with, pray for the hurting around you, and ask God for his miraculous comfort and peace. Don't give up, but be encouraged in the glorious hope from Jesus Christ and get busy for Him, whatever your circumstance today.