An Old Story That Can Bring Us Hope

It’s in almost every conversation. We can’t help it. The effects of the coronavirus are certainly beyond any plague or disease pandemic that I have seen or heard of in my life. I mean – a pandemic that is causing businesses to send their people home to work virtually; causing schools to shut down and children being homeschooled; causing families to store up extra food and supplies – just in case. In fact, in my own world, a group of 38 women are having to meet through teleconferencing. At the hospital where I volunteer, they’ve suspended volunteering until this crisis is over. In my morning text to my kids, I apprised them that the news says “the elderly (70 and above) should be checked on regularly to be sure we’re okay”. My reply to that is “Watch me defy the odds”. I have no fear.

This pandemic is nothing to make jokes about. People are alarmed and are filled with anxiety. Again, I look at scripture that shows us how to deal with the fear of impending danger. This is the perfect time for us to refresh our memory on how Scripture navigates perils, plagues and pandemics. My mind rushes back to serving at Vacation Bible School last summer.

The whole theme was around the exodus of God’s people from Egypt. But before the exodus, ten plagues were inflicted on Egypt by God to force wicked Pharaoh to let His people, the Israelites, go and be freed from slavery. I loved watching the VBS children acting out the various plagues. God answered Pharaoh’s taunts by saying “The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” (Exodus 7:5) Eventually, the Israelites were released and started walking towards the Red Sea. If you saw “The Ten Commandments” movie, the scene that stands out the most is Charlton Heston as Moses, lifting his rod over the waters commanding them to open up. And open up, they did, enabling millions of Israelites to cross over on dry land – but closing up over the Egyptians and killing them all. God provided a way of escape. And He has a way of escape in mind for us in this crisis – those who are professed children of God who know Christ as our Lord and Savior.

What we can easily miss are the details of this story. What is it like to pack up everything you own – your children, your possessions, your livestock to go to an unknown land? What’s it like to wonder if you might lose it all? Sounds like a good parallel to this virus that is seeping across the world and has reached our shores, and we don’t know how treacherous it’s going to be. God is calling us to continue marching forward with a diligence of conquering and overcoming while being very health-smart – following all the rules of washing our hands and staying away from crowds as much as possible.

Waiting well in the face of our anxiety about a coming danger means taking seriously the reality of the danger. Our God takes our lives and our sufferings very seriously, and “He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone” because He cares for us and for the things we care for and He shows compassion – so great is His unfailing love (Lamentations 3:32-33).

In the midst of the clamor, may we pour out our anxieties to our Father in Heaven. May we not allow our hearts to panic over school closings, travel plans, economic downturns, or the potentially infected surfaces we’ve touched! When we are afraid, we turn to Him. We cast our anxieties on Him, because He cares for us. In fact, we can allow handwashing or rubbing on hand sanitizer to become a moment we consciously entrust ourselves and the future of everyone we care about into His hands.

So we do wash our hands, and do what is wise about working from home, or calling our doctor. But we don’t let ourselves forget where our true safety lies. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we do know the One Who parts raging seas and blocks its flow with His blood-soaked cross!

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you;my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.“

(Thank you, CCEF -- Christian Counseling Educational Foundation for some of your excerpts included in this blog.)

Whatever the Mind can Conceive and Believe, it can Achieve

Napoleon Hill authored that quote. I know it's true. This blog comes from the incessant, but, I know, necessary, talk about the coronavirus. From the negative reports, the fears, concerns for the well-being of lives, there is really no place to hide. I loved these words from a pastor: “Wherever we are on earth, we have no rocket ship to escape this outcry or a home so insulated from peril of any kind, but we CAN put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6). God is our “shield”. The plague will not come to our homes; His blood on the doors of our heart shelters us from harm.” (Psalm 91)

My cousin posted this: "At last night's prayer gathering it was mentioned that the word "corona" in coronavirus means crown. This is a quote from a devotional from National Men's Ministries of The General Council of the Assemblies of God: "Health is the crown on a well man's head that only a sick person can see." Standing on the promise of Jeremiah 33:6: "Look, I will bring health and healing. I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."

There is pure power in our thoughts. What we think about long enough, will actually come to pass – be it a fear of something or a dream of conquering and winning at something. But why is that? How is that the mere concept of something, held in the forefront of our minds, can be brought to fruition through persistent thinking about it over time? God always has an answer for questions like this.

I remember all the talk about polio and tuberculosis when I was a young child. I didn’t grasp what it was all about, but it sounded scary based on the concern in my mom and dad’s voices when I heard them talking about it and how those awful diseases had attacked some of their friends. I could tell that worry and concern had entered into my little corner of the world.

The fact is illness and disease has always been a part of our world. Blame that on the enemy of our souls who comes to “kill, steal and destroy”. Think about the awful plague of leprosy in the Bible that cruelly destoryed people’s lives and families and excommunicated them from their homes and towns. But, Jesus. All of those diseases then, and now, didn’t and don’t phase God. John 10:10 says “The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I (Jesus) came to give you abundant life.” Doesn’t that bring comfort – especially when we conceive it, believe it, and achieve that abundant life?

If we are living in fear about the flu, the coronavirus, cancer, the common cold, heart failure, a pimple or acne, then we better, sooner than later, start getting our thinking right. Go back to that beginning thought “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” I hear people saying all the time “I think I’m catching a cold.” But, when we talk that talk, we aren’t aligning ourselves with the truth of God's Word. "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.( 2 Timothy 1:7). God says: “Him I will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me!” (Isaiah 26:3). Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” There is a remedy for going rogue in our thinking. The Bible makes it clear that our thinking and our hearts are linked together. What we think, affects our heart, soul and body. Likewise, the condition of our heart, soul and body affects our thinking.

The coronavirus is showing us what we should have known all along: we are mortals in desperate need of God. We need God’s protection in the present and His saving grace for eternity. One way God wants to redeem this pandemic is by using it to turn us to Himself. We need to pray for the sick – those around the world and even here in the U.S. This unprecedented threat is an unprecedented opportunity for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s point others to Jesus – the Great Healer Who changes not. “He is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). I am one of those who has been healed by His miracle-working power. I’m proof positive that there is nothing to fear because Jesus is still here!

Making the Most of Our Lives

Over the 19 years since the diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my fingers, some deformity occurred. Initially, the pain was so severe that I needed help to do the simplest things like buttoning a blouse or zipping up slacks. The worst part was being unable to pick up my grand-babies. Through prayer and wise nutrition counsel, I have had no pain or only minuscule pain if I overuse them. I continue to stand in faith for total healing. But, what a small price to pay for years of the gift of using these hands to type, write and accomplish so many things in so many ways. Such a gift to be able to hold someone's hand and lay these hands on those in need or prayer. I'll continue to use them despite looking a little gnarly. I am not complaining.

I can't complain at all, especially when I see others with even worse physical issues. I was touched by Shane Claiborne's book, "The Irresistible Revolution", subtitled "Living as an Ordinary Radical", that describes what a truly Christian lifestyle should be like based on his personal experience with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. He wrote: "People often ask me what she was like. Sometimes it's like they wonder if she glowed in the dark or had a halo. She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe a little ornery, like a beautiful, wise, old granny. But there is one thing I will never forget -- her feet. Her feet were deformed. I would stare at them. A Sister explained: "Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone to get stuck with the worst pair, so she digs through and finds them. And years of doing that have deformed her feet."

Years of loving her neighbor as herself deformed her feet. When people are asked about the person whose life they most admire, so often the answer is "Mother Teresa". She made the most of her life which sounds strange when we consider her life was a life of self-denial, taking up her cross, following Jesus.

Life is an extraordinary and a wonderful gift. God's Word constantly urges us not to waste this gift but to make the most of our lives. "Making the most of our lives", to some, varies from seeing the seven wonders of the world, being sure to visit every state in the union, climbing the tallest mountain, running a marathon each year OR, in the case of exhausting this body that was given us to make a difference in our world or at least to make a difference in those who God places in our lives. My bucket-list has become a shorter list these days -- because now I'm seeing clearer what "making the most of my life is really all about". Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, your love and your joy -- just maybe -- I can make the most of my life today by surrendering my will to yours.

What's Your Family Medical History?

A few weeks ago, I had surgery, and thanks be to God, I feel like a new woman now. But in preparation for that surgery, I had to consult with several doctors, and with each one, I had to complete a lot of medical forms that included questions like "What is your medical history -- have you or your family members had heart disease? diabetes? cancer? arthritis? etc." And, as a matter of fact....there were cases of those diseases in our family.

And I started thinking, as I encouraged myself with God's Word and faith, trust and hope, I thought, "What if there were a question on that form that said, "Have you or your family members had a history of notable miracles?" And, again, as a matter of fact....there were cases of those in our family.

For example: our daughter, Staci, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis -- diagnosis completely reversed (is a recording artist with a 5-1/2 octave range and public speaker today); my son, Ryan, had almost irreparable club feet -- completely healed (in fact runs 26.2 marathons regularly). Then, there's my father-in-law, who at age 62, had Lymphoma Cancer. After surgery, was told he would live, at best, six months, but, with his trust and faith in God, lived another 15 years. I was diagnosed with osteo-arthritis, but with God's guidance to natural health solutions -- I'm completely healed. How's that for "FAMILY HISTORY" facts? And how's that for "good genes"? I think we'll stake our claim on those genetics. I Chronicles 16:12 "Remember the miracles He performed, the amazing things He did and the judgments He pronounced!" No matter where you're at today....God is STILL a God of miracles -- REALLY....with Him, all things are possible!

What's Your Family's Medical History?

We've been seeing a lot of medical doctors, filling out a lot of medical forms, completing questionaires with questions like "Does your family have history of illness: heart disease? diabetes? cancer? etc." And, as a matter of fact....there have been cases of those diseases in our family.

In a little family discussion last night, we were encouraging ourselves with God's Word -- faith, trust and hope, and then Staci said, "What if there was such a thing as a "Spiritual Doctor" who, rather than asking your family's disease history, asked, "Does your family have history of notable miracles?"

With that thought, we quickly shifted our thoughts to the Source of miracles. We thought about Ron's Dad, who at age 62, was diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer. He had surgery, and was told he had just a short time to live, but, with his trust and faith in God, lived another 15 years. How's that for "FAMILY HISTORY" facts? And how's that for "good genes"? I think we'll stake our claim on those genetics. I Chronicles 16:12 "Remember the miracles He performed, the amazing things He did and the judgments He pronounced!" Really....with God all things are possible!