MAYBE IT IS TIME
We have been hearing the word, quarantine, all over the news. It means according to Webster dictionary: “a period during which a ship suspected of carrying a contagious disease is forbidden contact with the shore. (Sound familiar) A restraint on the movements or persons or goods to prevent the spread of pests or disease.” Thissounds familiar also, doesn’t it?This definition is not what I would think ourcountry would be saying so frequently in the news. God used quarantine in the Bible many times. Read Leviticus 14:33-57 which tells the Israelites what to do when leprosy comes into their homes and what they needed to do to keep themselves safe. The book of Leviticus is full of so many unhealthy situations that could happen to the Israelites and God tells them what to do. Usually they were told to wash their clothes and take a bath. God used these times to protect His people, to help them heal themselves and their land.
We have been told to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. I am in quarantine now. I am of an age and have underlying conditions that make me at risk. My dad, who is in his mid-80’s is also at risk. They are finding out now that younger people can get this virus also. One of my sons, uses phone & computer to do his work. He and family have gone to a farm where they have their camper parked. My Navy wife-daughter, who has four kids-three in school, is confining her little family at home. She has a teaching degree and has been enjoying teaching them from home. When my son, who lives with me, comes home from work, he takes a shower. I spray with disinfectant all doorknobs, etc., that he has touched. He and my other son have a job that is considered necessary. But there are so many businesses that have closed their doors, laid off their employees, not knowing when or if they can reopen. I know in a few weeks when I do not get a paycheck, it is going to be rough. The employees of the businesses that have closed, are going to and are hurting financially. The government plans to help with unemployment and other stimulus packages to boost our economy right now. But they need to hurry! There are so many who live paycheck to paycheck. What are we going to do? When can we all get back to normal? How long will this quarantine last? When can all these businesses reopen or even survive to reopen? When can we worship together again? There are so many questions surrounding our new normal right now, but no answers.
It is normal to question when our lives will get back to normal. It is normal to worry about the future! Most of us have never experienced anything like this before. Read Matthew 6:25-34. Verse 25 reads, “Therefore (which refers back to the fact that we cannot serve God and the riches of this earth) I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Verses 32-34 read, “…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and, all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” It is easy to say do not worry, but it is harder to actually put that into action isn’t it? Some cannot believe in a God who allows these times to happen to us, especially here in our country. Then, there are those of us who trust in God even when things like this are swirling around us! God will take care of us. God is right by our side helping us take one step in front of the other. God has told us there will be problems in this life. But we need to realize that, even when the fear of the unknown is surrounding us, even when this invisible threat is swallowing up so many, even when many are dying all over the world, God is still in control. God is who He has always been. The great I AM!
Maybe He is allowing this sneaky virus to encircle the globe, because He needs us to turn back to Him. I know I have much more time on my hands. I work full time. I can only go to work those days of the week, come home eat a bite and then go to bed and do it all over again the next day. Maybe it is time to evaluate our lives. Maybe it is time to spend more time in the word of God, the Bible. Maybe it is time to not take church assembly for granted. We will once again be together as a church family-shake hands & hug each other. I miss my brothers and sisters! Maybe it is a blessed time to spend with our family-to reconnect with each other. Maybe it is time that we can spend with our little ones and give them memories of good in the middle of the bad. Maybe it is time to slow down from the busyness and get rest. Maybe it is time to reevaluate our lives and make some changes. Maybe it is time to realize some things are just not as important as we thought they were. Maybe it is time that we can connect through a phone call to an elderly person and see if we can help them in some way. It can get lonely day after day sitting in their homes, trying to stay away from this invisible force. Maybe it is time to realize we are not indestructible. Maybe it is time to stop worrying. God has got this! He will give us what we need, not just what we want! God allows these things to happen, to get us to stop and remember that we do have a God!
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 2 Chronicles 7:14. This is when Solomon had prayed to God, after he built the temple. Verses 13-14 read, “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people; if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Wow, let those words sink in! There is a very powerful two letter word in this reading: IF. Let’s look at what we need to do in the midst of this invisible enemy.
- HUMBLE ourselves. Our country is so use to having plenty. We are so proud of ourselves for our accomplishments that we forget to remember who let us excel. We have forgotten what it is like to be without. As my grandmother use to say, “we have gotten too big for our britches!” We need to take a step back and remember we would not have anything if it was not for God. Sure, we have worked hard for what we have-our nice home-our car-our clothes-eating out when we want to. We say to ourselves look what I have done! But God says to humble ourselves!
- PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE. Have you ever noticed that when our country goes through a rough time, that people pray to God for help? But during everyday life, He is forgotten? Pray, not just a prayer we have heard, but a heartfelt prayer. I have found when I have gone through rough times, and I pray; I suddenly feel peace. Nothing in my life has changed but my attitude about the problem has changed because I have gone to my Father and poured out my heart and soul. I have released the problem to Him. This does not mean, like in the current situation, that I go into big crowds or do not disinfect my home or go & do what I want to and not obey the current order to stay home. But rather it means that I have put my trust in God that He will take care of me. I reach out to God through prayer and search the scriptures to find comfort.
- TURN from wicked ways. There is a lot of evil out there. So many evil things that the world feels are their right to do because they have not had a good life. Maybe they have grown up in a home that has not respected God. Their parents have not given them a good example-violent towards each other-drinking or drugs are taken. They have seen a normal which is not healthy, nor directed towards God. But God is saying in our verses, that they need to turn from their wicked ways. Just because you have not had a healthy example in your home-even though they have reacted by doing violent things-even though they have lived their lives for themself; God wants us to turn from those evil actions. When you turn, you are leaving all that stuff behind you and going on a different path. It may not be easy but you can do it!
Then, God tells us that He will do certain things.
- HE WILL HEAR. When a person comes to God humbly and not for self, God will hear them. That is such a calming thought isn’t it?
- HE WILL FORGIVE. God will forgive, we just have to seek Him and ask for that forgiveness. God will forget that sin and help you to find a way to forgive yourself.
- HE WILL HEAL OUR LAND. Wow, that is the one that makes me really think. Our land has become evil-gotten away from God. It is a world of selfishness. A world that tells us if it feels right, then do it. A world that accepts evil into their homes. God can and will heal our land when we have reached out to Him in humility, knowing that God’s way is the right way. The Old Testament is full of examples of this. The Israelites turned away from God, then another country would overtake them. Then the Israelites prayed in earnest to God, and He healed their land by bringing then out of captivity.
In the midst of this virus, we are seeing kindness everywhere. That is how our country and others react to terrible things happening. We see there is a need and we react to help others. It helps to remind myself, that there are still good people who are living to help others not just themselves. Sure, our country is going down an evil road, one of selfishness, but also there are so many who are on the right path. Those who are not thinking of self but helping others. Times like these help us to remember that!
I read this on Facebook and want to share it with you.
I know this. When this ends-and it will-every game will sell out, every restaurant will have a 2 hour wait, every kid will be glad to be in school, everyone will love their job, the stock market will skyrocket, every house will get TP’d and we all will embrace and shake hands. That’s gonna be a pretty good day. Hang in their world.
As my mother said, this too will pass! Life will get back to normal. But hopefully we will remember to not take things for granted. When waiting in the drive thru line, don’t get so impatient. People will be able to watch their sports again and will be thankful for the entertainment. We hopefully will be thankful we have a job, instead of always looking at the clock and we will remember that in whatever we do we need to do it for the Lord and His glory. Kids will not take for granted that they have a school to go to and hang out with their friends. Once again, our store shelves will have whatever we want and need. So instead of becoming once again zoned into self, let’s remember Who gives us hope-Who gives us love-Who gives us forgiveness-Who gives us our everyday things and lives.
Maybe it is time to reevaluate ourselves and focus on what is truly important. Maybe it is time to humble ourselves and not think that it is all about me. Maybe it is time to seek God through prayer and embrace the peace that brings. Maybe it is time to turn from what we know is wrong and go to Who is right. Maybe it is time to reconnect with our families, slow down and meditate on God’s word.
I want to leave with you a couple of passages of scripture that offers hope and peace. Psalm 27:13-14 “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, wait, I say, on the Lord!” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore, (speaking of our faith and God’s grace) we do not loose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Yes, we are in quarantine. The world is at war against an invisible enemy. Not a good thing OR is it? Maybe it is time!
Till next time! Keela
