COVID 19 - A BURNING BUSH
Last week I suggested we read chapter 7 of God’s Generals to see how John G. Lake, an American missionary to South Africa, responded when S.A. was being ravaged by a deadly pandemic. Last week, at our book club, we came across another example of what happened when there was a plague. This time it was in chapter 8; the profile of Amiee Semple McPherson, founder of the Four Square Gospel Church.
When we chose to study God’s Generals, my friends and I had no idea how relevant its content would be to contemporary happenings. As we prepared for 2020, I had 3 books in mind to suggest for our book club meetings and one of them was God’s Generals. One day, I was chatting with another member, who, out of the blue, mentioned that we should read God’s Generals. Since we both thought about the same book independently, we agreed that the Spirit of God was directing us.
In 1918, while World War 1 raged and America faced the deadly outbreak of influenza, God used Amiee to serve His people. Her message of hope and her healing ministry was a solution to the situation that troubled the land. As Christians, we too can aspire to be a blessing and even a solution, in these difficult days.
Society has been brought to a standstill by the coronavirus. Events of the past few weeks have proved how fragile the systems of this world are and how fickle our existence is. COVID 19 is no respecter of persons; it has found its way into food markets, shanty towns, otherwise secure cities, Hollywood and even Presidential homes. It is causing fear and trembling amongst the high and the low alike. Death, the common denominator of humankind and the one with whom all flesh must keep appointment, is lurking around ready to sting. These are perilous times.
In our last article we asked ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ if He walked the earth today, and we reasoned that He would go around ‘doing good and healing…’ Another thing Jesus would do is to find out what His father was up to and fall in line. If we are to follow in His footsteps our main concern should be to key into God’s purpose for this time. We cannot allow ourselves to be tossed to and fro by every tide and wave of news. We should be getting our information primarily from the Lord. What is the Lord saying?
Like you, I have heard or read several postulations as to what exactly is going on and I would mention a few that have solid scriptural bases such as the fact that practices that God calls abominations are being celebrated thus attracting His judgment. Also we can see from the response to the coronavirus, how easily a desperate situation and our self-preservation instincts would make us give up our freedom and accept the mark of the anti-Christ. There is also the school of thought that this standstill is a dressrehearsal for the rapture. Again, some say God is flexing His muscles. Whether we agree with the permutations making the rounds or not, we cannot deny the fact that something unusual is happening.
Someone said, ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’ If there is a God, then He is shouting. And if He is shouting then He must have whispered and we did not hear, He must have spoken, and we did not hear. Now He has pressed the pause button on our lives to get our attention. We cannot afford to miss the handwriting on the wall. What is God saying?’.
For us to clearly distil His voice amidst the cacophony of voices, we would have to turn down the volume of our social media, phones, televisions and tune into His frequency. This is not the time to let ourselves drown in the news of the coronavirus. While it is our personal responsibility to be informed (and from reliable sources like the W.H.O.), we must be intentional about hearing God. Quality personal time alone with Him is non-negotiable. We must now sit at His feet like Mary rather than keep busy like Martha. He may speak to us directly, He may speak through others, He may speak through circumstances, but His voice would always align with His word which is why we must study the scriptures.
So, the plague is the shadow, the substance is His message for the moment. And it boils down to the fact that He loves us and is calling us to salvation through faith in His son Jesus Christ. The stakes are high guys! This is about eternal life and death!
The bush is burning but it is not consumed. God is trying to get our attention! This is the time for us to say to ourselves, like Moses did; ‘Let me turn aside and see this great sight’. (Exodus 3:3). And as with Moses, when we do, the Lord will give us instructions on His purpose for the rest of our lives.
In our last article we asked ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ if He walked the earth today, and we reasoned that He would go around ‘doing good and healing…’ Another thing Jesus would do is to find out what His father was up to and fall in line. If we are to follow in His footsteps our main concern should be to key into God’s purpose for this time. We cannot allow ourselves to be tossed to and fro by every tide and wave of news. We should be getting our information primarily from the Lord. What is the Lord saying?
Koko Kalango is author, Colours of Life devotional. contact@coloursoflife.org