*A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM PASTOR RICK ON THE CORONAVIRUS*
Walking Without Fear Through the Valley of Virus
Health officials continue to offer common sense steps to contain, reduce, and prevent new infections of the coronavirus. But what should be our spiritual response to this pandemic? How can our hope in Christ remain firm as we walk through this dark valley?
I have a special message for you that includes reminders that God is always with you, to focus on what is unchanging, and that God can use you to minister to others even in this crisis. You can listen to my message by going to https://pastorrick.com/listen/ and finding Walking Without Fear Through the Valley of Virus (Parts 1 and 2).
We already know in advance that this virus will not last. It's a valley that we will walk through, and we're going to walk through it together.
“The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21 TLB).
What would happen if every single thing in your life went bad? Would you still trust God if your plans didn’t work out? If everything fell apart? If you lost it all? Would you be able to honor God even in your pain?
The whole book of Job in the Bible is about answering that one question: Will you worship God when everything in your life goes wrong? For Job, almost everything that could go wrong, did, but he was faithful. He worshiped God by honoring him, even when he was wounded.
So how do you honor God when you don’t understand what’s going on in your life? How do you keep your eyes on God when they’re full of tears?
You honor God, not by thanking him for your problems but by thanking him in the middle of your problems. You do what Job did.
Job 1:21-22 tells us how Job responded: “‘I came naked from my mother’s womb,’ he said, ‘and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all of this Job did not sin or revile God” (TLB).
At each point in your life, you can find reasons to praise God. Life is never all good, and life is never all bad. In every moment you have good and bad together.
Throughout the book of Job, Job finds the good for which he can praise God, even in the middle of the bad. You can use this list to help you praise God, no matter what’s going on. Here’s what you can praise God for:
- That he is good and loving (Job 10:12)
- That he is all-powerful (Job 36:22, 37:5, 23)
- That he notices every detail of your life (Job 23:10, 31:4)
- That he is in control (Job 34:13)
- That he has a plan for your life (Job 23:14)
- That he will protect you (Job 5:11)
Whatever is going on in your life today, choose to honor God in faith.
Talk It Over
We don’t need to thank God for our problems but thank him in the middle of our problems. What’s the difference in those two things?
How have you changed or what about your life has changed when you’ve thanked God in the middle of a difficult time?
If you were to lose everything, do you think you would you still honor God? Why or why not?
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This devotional © 2020 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
