In the book of Exodus (15:6), God says to the Israelites “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.” For those who believe that God is sovereign, this affirms that God is in charge of where viruses go. BUT, we also know that God does not operate out of evil motives, like we sometimes do. He is not vindictive. Even God’s punishments are meant to be corrective. So what lessons should His people be learning from the covid-19 pandemic?
We need to start with what we know to be true. God’s word clearly teaches that He cares for us. That would include our physical needs, as Jesus made evident by healing many of the sick while He was on earth. But God also makes it clear that our spiritual condition and our relationship to Him is of far more importance. Our soul is of far more importance to Him than our body, as one is temporary and one is eternal. We are to value our own soul more, also. Hence He tells us “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” If an enemy of the body, like Covid 19, caused people to turn to God, there would be net profit in that.
We who know the Lord are to be His hands and feet while we abide on this earth. Since Jesus went about doing good for others and healing, then so should we. We are to consider our neighbors out of love and use our resources to help. No Christian should hoard needed items. No Christian should protect only themself, but should work for the good of their entire community. What can we do to help? Covid 19 is causing many kinds of hurt, not just physical illness. Can we call someone lonely? Can we support a struggling business in some way? There are opportunities to do good.
Finally, perhaps, this pandemic will remind us that created human beings are not really in control. There is a Sovereign and infinite creator who loves us enough to remind us of our need for Him. As bad as Covid 19 is, there could be far less gentle reminders of this truth. We would be wise to humbly reevaluate our lives.
I liked this quote from the WallStreet Journal’s editorial page on March 24. Lance Morrow, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, wrote “Have faith. Prayer is a strong fortification. Prayer expresses purity of heart-vulnerability, fear, hope, longing. At a time like this, it arises from a platform of humility, a virtue almost extinct in the West. The coronavirus may bring it back.”
