Pandemic Rx, Take 2
COVID-19 hit Mississippi on Wednesday, March 11. To share God’s words of life during such a difficult time, I prayerfully shared a daily Bible verse on my personal Facebook page, accompanied by a short devotional paragraph.
My initial Pandemic Rx posted Monday, March 16. Within minutes, a teacher friend liked and shared it. Since that time, the entire world has changed. In our own lives, we worked remotely for several weeks, our church services were conducted online for a couple of months, my parents have been quarantined in a nursing center for almost 19 weeks, and recently, my husband lost his mother.
Even so, for the past 130 days, I consistently shared God’s written prescription on how to live victoriously during this pandemic. On May 20, I offered one round of my ‘pandemic’ posts on The Stand. Today, I share another group, praying each post conveys God’s faithfulness and love.
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2 John 1:8-9
Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
“Is it over yet?” I keep asking myself this question, almost like a kid in the backseat of a car, repeatedly asking, “Are we there yet?” But it’s not over, and we’re not there YET. So be vigilant! Stay right beside Jesus. Do not run ahead or lag behind. Stay safe under His wing, and wait for this storm to pass. And don’t lose sight of the prize. We are His! He has us!
Exodus 14:27-31
And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.
Guess what, child of God? If we follow Him, we always walk across on dry ground. And in the end, we will see the goodness of God on the other side of our struggles. Always! Because God is nothing but good!
Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
As of yesterday, I have shared at least one verse from every single book of the Bible over the past 125 days. And this verse is my prayer for every single post I have made. No, I cannot solve the medical, social, or political ills in our world. On my own, I cannot even offer hope. But when you or I speak the Word, it is life to every situation. So with a little bit of life from every book of the Bible, I count on the truth that His words will not and cannot return void. They will accomplish everything He intends. Glory to God!
Lamentations 3:24
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
When I began posting a daily verse 125 days ago, I had no clue that we would be burying our Mimi (my mother-in-law) today. She died doing what she loved best – gardening. Knowing that gives us some peace, but our greatest peace comes from the hope we each have in Christ. He truly is our portion. So, yes, we lament our loss, but we celebrate Mimi’s victory. She is home! And we challenge each of you to find your hope in Jesus as well. He is faithful! Set your course toward home!
1 Kings 8:23
And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart.
God keeps His promises. No doubt! The question then becomes: Are we walking before Him with our whole hearts?
Ezra 10:4
Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.
Christians, we have His Spirit living in us. And nothing, absolutely nothing is too big for our God. Yet, in this world, at this moment in time, He chose to use each of us as His hands, His feet, His heart, and His voice. We are one body – His Body. So...arise! Take courage! And do what He has called you to do. Right now! You and I are His answer to this dilemma. Rise up!
2 Kings 20:5
Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee….
Who could have imagined 120 days ago that COVID-19 would still be such a focal point of our lives? Four months ago, I simply started this daily Bible post as a way to combat the fear and offer hope. I never imagined writing 120 posts. Yet, I know God heard every verse we shared and prayed together. And I believe that He will heal our land. Our job is to simply cry out in repentance for His mercy and grace. He is able! So this is my cry: Forgive us! Forgive us, O Lord. Heal our land!
Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
What are you feeding on?
Social media? News reports? Gossip? Fear? Stress? Worry? Hatred? Division? It doesn’t really matter which words are swirling around us – unless we take them in and feed on them. Be mindful of what’s coming in. Guard your heart and your mind. God instructs us to FEED on His Word.
How long have we spent in His Word this week? The Bible is the only reliable and healthy food we have. Let’s feed on His Words of Life.
Judges 6:12
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
No matter what you face today, God is with you. His angels encamp around you, and His blood covers you. Plus, God sees you through the light of His Son. That means He sees you as a mighty warrior. So, rise up, believer! Walk through this day in His victory. He has already won the day! In fact, He has already won eternity. So, walk on!
Nahum 2:2
The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines.
I love this verse! We are never too far gone, too dirty, too ruined, or too broken for God to save us, heal us, and restore us. So I cry, “Yes, Lord! Restore us! Restore every single thing the cankerworm, caterpillar, and the locust have eaten. You said it; I believe You!”
1 Timothy 1:15
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
Everywhere I look, I see people frightened, angry, and alienated from each other. It seems as though we all see, recall, and expect only the worst in others. It is surely one of the saddest times in recent history.
But things would shift if we could all stop and use this verse as our reference point. After all, each of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None are worthy of His loving mercy, especially me.
In light of His sacrifice for me, even though He already knew what dark, ugly sins I would commit, how can I possibly point my finger (or my words) at anyone else? Think about it! He even threw my sins away and does not remember them anymore! Hallelujah!
So, forgive me, Lord. Help me forgive others. And most of all, thank you, Lord, for Your undeserved forgiveness – and forgetfulness.
