Hope in a Worldwide Outbreak

In the past couple weeks, the world changed. Hospitals have been overwhelmed, grocery store shelves are bare, and people are panicking. Many of us have come to accept the reality that our future is unknown. Daily routines have been disrupted and people feel that their comfort and security no longer exist. No one can control the spread of the virus. It’s real. It’s serious. But can we find hope in a worldwide outbreak? I believe we can.

This coronavirus may just be what a lot of us needed to wake up to the reality that we are not in control. If we’re honest with ourselves, do we ever really have control over our future? Not at all. We can keep a scheduled routine and make plans for the future, but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. As frightening as that may sound, it should lead us to the only One who is truly in control. He knows our future and wants the best for us all. So, here are some ways we can have hope in a worldwide outbreak:

God is Greater

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:6-11). 

I know it’s hard to give up our plans and have our routines disrupted. I’m the worst at being flexible with my plans and get frustrated when my routine is not in place. But I have to remember that God’s plans never get out of place. They stand firm through the ages. Nothing gets out of His control.

We can find hope in the Creator of the universe. He made all things by His Word and has a plan for each of His creations. Therefore, He is greater than all things. The coronavirus may seem scary, but God is greater. For more on this, check out my post: Our God is High & Lofty.

Be Thankful

When you’re discouraged, do you find it hard to think of anything positive? I know I fall into this trap sometimes. But then God reminds me of everything I should be thankful for. Yes, the coronavirus is a real danger, but why do we need to give it all our attention? Stop reading or listening to the news for 10 to 15 minutes right now and think of everything you are thankful for. Having a grateful heart brings hope.

Here are some things we can thank God for: the air we breathe, our health (especially if we haven’t been infected with the virus or have already recovered from the virus), our family and friends, our food and water, the roof over our heads, the community we live in, the medical professionals that are putting extra time in to fight this virus, and many other things.

We should be especially thankful for who God is and all that He does for us. He is our hope. Philippians 4:4-7 tells us: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God is with you and me every second of the day. Be thankful!

Cling to Jesus

As we think of all we are thankful for, we should be reminded of the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son. He humbled Himself, becoming man and stepping down from His heavenly dwelling, to die on the cross for all our sins. And on the third day, God the Father raised Jesus to life, defeating death.

Jesus didn’t wait until we all got our life together. He died for us while we were deep in our sin. Look at Romans 5:6-8: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So, why cling to our fear when we can cling to Jesus? Jesus conquered sin and death for you and me! I think that tops what the coronavirus is doing. Find hope in Jesus.

Death is Conquered

I know we’ve already covered this, but I want you to stop and think about this a little longer. Death is conquered!Jesus invites each and every one of us to join in this victory. Jesus didn’t just come to die on the cross and be raised to life to simply say: “Look what I can do.” No, He did all of that and then invites us to do the same by surrendering our all to Him and leaving our old life of sin behind us. He’s asking us to believe in who He says He is and what He’s done for us. And then follow Him.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 explains: “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

A New Heaven & A New Earth

Death is only part of this current world, but Jesus is going to make all things new and invites us to join Him. There will be no more death because, as we already discussed, Jesus conquered death. Let’s read Revelation 21:1-4:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

Live Out Your Faith

If you are a follower of Christ, you and I are called to live out our faith each day. That means loving God with all of who we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:34-40). During this global outbreak, we should be pointing people to Jesus through our words and actions. This includes clinging to our faith and hope in Jesus, sharing the good news we have in Jesus, being generous with our resources, reminding people they are not alone, spending time in prayer, spreading peace instead of fear, serving others instead of ourselves, obeying the recommendations from medical professionals and our government officials, and any other ways we can display Christ to those around us.

Colossians 3:15-17 tells us: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” This does not say, “Let fear rule in your hearts.” It says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” When we allow the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, then we are able to share that peace with everyone around us during the good and bad times. And sharing that peace brings hope. This is living out our faith.

Is Your Future Uncertain?

Maybe you read through this article and still feel uneasy about your future. Is this coronavirus having you think about death more than usual? Are you feeling hopeless and helpless? What’s holding you back from surrendering your life to Jesus? I know trust is hard to give out these days. I know truth is hard to find. But Jesus isn’t from this world. He isn’t selfish and sinful like all men and women on this planet. He will never disappoint you. He will prove to you over and over just how much He loves you.

And all He wants is a relationship with you. That relationship starts with trust. He’s asking you to trust in what He did on the cross for you and me. He’s also asking you to trust in His resurrection. When you trust in Jesus and intentionally pursue Him, just like any other relationship, you will get to know Him more and more. And He will reveal to you how certain your future is when you call on His name.

Surrender your life to Him, leave your old life behind, choose to believe and follow Jesus, and your future will be certain because it will be in Jesus’ hands.

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