Remember to Call Upon the Lord, He Cares

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In my last post I described how God has blessed my family during the pandemic and how He is keeping both His general promise to provide as well as a more specific promise He has given to me. But the last month and a half has not been all peaches-n-cream. (Haven't heard that one in a while.) We lost a family member who contracted COVID-19 while living in a nursing home. Another family with whom we've been close also lost a person to COVID-19. With family and friends working in healthcare, we live with a constant threat of seeing others catch the disease and that's just the start of the stresses we have faced.

Some of those stresses have been both a bother and at the same time humorous. Before now I never had to try to plan when we would need to order paper towels or toilet paper. A miscalculation there could lead to days of...discomfort. But what I see on the news and in my region are no laughing matter. In both I see high unemployment. I see neighbors who are worried about paying for food. I hear and read reports of people who are afraid that they will not be able to pay their rent or their mortgage. I see people, real people, who are suffering as the coronavirus tries to destroy our land.

For the record I do not believe this pandemic is a punishment from God. Jesus bore our punishment on the cross, giving His life for the world (John 3:16). Based on these facts I believe this illness to be one of those unfortunate things that happens in a fallen world. I do believe that God is available to us all, ready to heal and to give hope. He is ready to join us in our struggles, to guide us forward in dealing with life. He empowers those who call upon Him, meeting needs both supernaturally and naturally through His church. We need only call upon His name.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)

Christians are not immune to suffering and this pandemic has something for everyone. We can try to deal with our troubles on our own but this is the path to failure. This is a time when we need to call upon our Lord knowing that He cares. He cares about your finances. He cares that you feel alone and/or overwhelmed. He cares about your physical health. Whatever it is, He cares. Don't suffer alone. Reach out to God and to His church through whom He works.