Stay Strong In Your Faith

Good morning. It is official, school is out for the rest of the school year! Yesterday afternoon, we received the news from the Virginia Governor. I see questions all over Facebook. When will we get yearbooks? What about Prom? How will we get their school supplies? What about graduation?

Our lives were halted by this virus. We have to evaluate, what we used to consider important. We used to be caught up in our busy lives each day, too busy for family, too busy for friends, too busy for God.

When all this started, I was taken by surprise. Then, I thought that people would stop and find their way back to God again. I am surprised at the anger and bitterness on social media. People have worked hard and prepared for their careers and their children’s future. They are downright angry that their plans have been interrupted.

They have not realized that God is in control. They can plan all they want. God’s plan will prevail.

I have been in a place where I tried to control everything. Over five years ago, my life turned upside down. My husband lost his job, I had an emergency surgery, and then my dad died. I could have let all of these things destroy my life. Instead, I looked up to God and pleaded for forgiveness and mercy. God brought us through all of it. God healed me, helped me mourn, brought us to a new neighborhood in a new state, a new job. God came all the way through for us. God answered prayers that we didn’t know we had. God did not stop there. God kept refining us, showing his faithfulness, until we let go of control and trusted in him. The difficult few years strengthened our faith. Yes, it took us years to let go of control and truly trust in God.

Thank God for our difficulties, because it brought us the peace of truly trusting in God with all our hearts.

While we endured difficulties, I would sometimes wonder, why is this happening to us? It happened because God loves us.

I am a mom. Would I let my young child play in the street as cars drove by? No way! Why? I love my children. I don’t want them to get harmed, because they do not yet understand the dangers around them.

God loves us. God will stop us in our tracks and pull us back, if we are going to harm ourselves or others are going to harm us.

For whom the Lord loves He chastens
–Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV)

For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
–Proverbs 3:12 (NKJV)

For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you;
Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
But I will correct you in justice,
And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’
–Jeremiah 30:11 (NKJV)

God is in control. I don’t understand why this Coronavirus is abruptly changing our lives. I know that God will bring us out of this stronger and more faithful, if we put our trust in him. God will use this time for his good works. God will strengthen our families. I look forward to seeing what else God has in store for us.

Today, I opened the bible to the passages with Jesus on the cross. He asked God to forgive us, because we know not what we do. People mocked the son of God asking why God did not save him. They could not understand how much our God loves us. God did not save Jesus from the suffering of crucifixion, so we could be saved. God did raise Jesus from the dead. God’s ways our greater than ours.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”
–Luke 23:34-35 (NKJV)

During this time, people might mock you for your faith. Maybe God will shine through us and touch the hearts of others. Stay strong in your faith. God will give our hearts the peace to endure anything, and we will get our eternal reward in heaven.