Article: The COVID-19 crisis – Where is God in all this | Rev. Lalachan Abraham

The COVID-19 crisis (corona virus pandemic) is fear inducing and frightening for hundreds of millions of people. The escalation of the corona virus is making news headlines all over the world. Many around the world are sick and many others have died. As of April 16, 2020, 09:33
GMT, there have been a total of 2,091,279 confirmed cases of this novel corona virus with 135,229deaths worldwide. The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world.
There are around 7. 8 billion people in the world and only an omniscient God know exactly how many people will be touched by this virus and to what extent. It’s worth remembering the reality that God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained” (Acts 17:31).
God is in control over exactly how much devastation these beings are allowed to unleash. He is not destroying indiscriminately: He is punishing the world in love and in measure—to help mankind turn from the paths of destruction to the way of truth and peace! God will allow the diseases and other afflictions represented by these horses to affect mankind to precisely the degree needed to help them repent—no more, no less.
Many have been puzzled by the suffering we see in our world. When bad things happen, we want to know why. Why do bad things happen to good people? We ask that question all the time. When bad things happen, we look for a logical explanation. But let us ask ourselves another question, Are there any “good people?” The biblical answer is two-fold: First, by nature, no one is good. We are, by nature, sinners and law breakers and therefore, not good. Jesus told us in Mark
10:18 that, “No one is good—except God alone.” Therefore, God is the standard for goodness. The bar is set that high! (See Romans 3:10-12; 23, James 2:10; 4:17).
In fact only one time did a bad thing happen to a good person? That person was Jesus Christ. The bad thing that He suffered was the punishment that our sins deserved. We are only good because He has taken our sins and is transforming us into His good image. The second part of the answer is Because of Christ, we are declared good! Life becomes wonderful when we see that God has a purpose – a glorious purpose – in everything He permits to come into our lives.
One reason why God has permitted this world to be an uncomfortable place to live in- is so that people may turn to Him in their distress – so that He might bless them. God works all things together for our good – the good being that we might be conformed to the likeness of His Son
Jesus. Therefore If we could see things from God’s perspective – then we’d see that it has perfect bend and balance. As the Apostle Paul said “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” (1Corinthians 13:12)
Even though we grieve for those who have lost their lives or loved ones, From God’s perspective, that life is not lost. Life is not lost to the One who can restore it. Read what Paul says in Romans
8:18: …For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! God uses our present suffering to prepare us for future glory. God uses pain to get our attention, to discipline us that we may share in his holiness and grow in godliness. (See Hebrew 12:7-11, James 1:2-3, Romans 5:3-4).
The question is where is this leading? And how do we respond to COVID-19?
Communicable diseases do not stop at international borders and God takes no pleasure in seeing
His people suffer. He wants people to “prosper and be in good health”! (3 John 2) Christ came so we could “have life” and “have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). In Exodus 15:26, God specifically promised the people of ancient Israel that if they obeyed Him, they would never have to suffer any diseases! The trouble was that ancient Israel—like the rest of the world today—did not obey God. Instead it rejected Him and His law of love. So instead of prospering and being in health and having real, abundant life, people suffer. It pains God to know that the suffering is about to get much, much worse. It grieves Him to consider the diseases and other horrors soon to be visited upon Earth. But it is all part of His plan to teach man the absolute necessity of obeying God’s law.
If we take one genuine step towards God by trying to bring out the Divine in us through spiritual practice, then He takes 100 steps to help us. God moves mountains to help and protect a true disciple who is committed and sincere about his or her spiritual growth. For the child of God, this life is training school for eternity. God is using everything that happens in your life– including those things that seem utterly senseless–to prepare you for future glory. In this life we won’t know all the answer to the question why? But in the life to come we will either know the answer or it won’t matter because the glory will be so great that we will simply forget the pain of the past. Either way we will end up completely satisfied.
Be encouraged, Child of God. He loves you even in the midst of your pain. He loves you even when you don’t love him. He loves you when you feel utterly alone. He loves you with an everlasting love. Your suffering can take many things away from you–your health, your happiness, your prosperity, your popularity. But there’s one thing suffering can’t do. It can’t take away the love of God and His presence. When we finally reach heaven, we will discover that God himself was with us every step along the way. We will stand in his presence redeemed and glorified. Every trace of this decaying world will be left far behind. The sufferings of this life will be but a dim memory, fading into the mists of a forgotten yesterday. Until then, let us trust God and take refuge under the shadow of his almighty wings.
Practical actions- Take care of your health and protect others by doing the following:
First, we need to remember that our God is a “refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease “(Psalm 91:1-3) God has not given us a spirit of fear. We should not panic. Our Heavenly Father is still the all-knowing, ever-present, omnipotent God.
Second, we need to take necessary precautions. Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands. Listen to the medical experts. Be informed, sensitive, and wise in the way we approach this pandemic. Stay home if you feel unwell. Already in the Bible we find very strict quarantine regulations for those suffering of infectious diseases (see Leviticus 13). So, when we follow government and medical advice to, say, drastically reduce all social contacts, this is not an expression of unbelief (as though God did not have the power to protect or heal us). Rather, it is a demand of wisdom and, especially, of neighborly love. Wherever we can contribute to that outcome, we should.
Third, we need to pray for all those who have been infected, those who will be, and for their families. We need to pray for God to deliver the world from this menace to human health and well-being. We need to pray for wisdom, guidance, and protection for our national, state and local government leaders as they seek to fulfill their oaths of office in protecting the citizenry. Pray for medical professionals, and government decision makers. Pray for those who are already isolated and concerned about cutting off vital connections. Pray for people who are at greater risk of more significant consequences of becoming infected. Pray for miracles.
Fourth, don’t do anything knowingly that would put anyone else at risk. Seek to help those who need help coping with the aftermath of having the virus or having been exposed to it. And during this whole process, as Christ-followers, we must always remember and have in our consciousness the Lord Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) and “to do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Luke 6:31). C.S. Lewis said “pain is
God’s megaphone.” Some of us are hard of hearing. We ignore physical, mental, and spiritual warning signs. God wants us to tune our ears to the messages He sends us through our minds and bodies.
Finally, be grateful for those working tirelessly to care for the sick, curb the spread, and create a cure and vaccine. Times like these remind us all of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. From the perspective of God, our lives are like the grass and flowers that spring up in the morning and by evening are faded and withered. So let’s spread the greatest news that death has been defeated and eternal life is available to all who trust in the Lord.

Rev.Lalachan Abraham

(Executive Director, Transformation India movement )

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