By Joe McKeever
As we help our people keep the present crisis in perspective and as a guidance for our messages, we’re always on the lookout for a fresh Scriptural perspective on life-in-the-midst-of-a-crisis.
See if these help …
1 Kings 20:28
Then the man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans have said: The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys, I will hand over all this whole huge army to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'”
People have always wanted to make God one or the other—Lord of the big, important matters or God of little, inconsequential, “spiritual” things.
One of my neighbors, a businessman, once said, “That’s all right in your line of work, Joe, but in the real world … .” I jumped all over that, you may believe. Jesus Christ is Lord of all.
God is God of the infinite, as well as the infinitesimal. Of the mountains and the valleys.
We’re currently ministering to people in life’s valleys. The constant challenge is finding ways in which God uses this crisis for His glory and our good.
2 Chronicles 20:12
When Jehoshaphat faced the murderous Assyrians, the King of Judah prayed:
“Our God … we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
Every believer finds themselves in situations where we pray, “Lord, we don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” That surely applies to this day.
As they prepared to cross the Jordan into Canaan, Joshua told the Israelites, “You have not passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). That’s more true of us today than it’s ever been! So, we look to Him.
The government is important, and we pray for our leaders, but we don’t look to the government for salvation.
Science is amazing, and we pray for scientists to find the vaccine and the cure for this super-virus, but our trust is not in science.
As the Psalmist said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).
We’ll want to help our people to conquer their fears by giving them to the Savior. He alone knows the way through this wilderness.
Psalm 116:7
“Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”
This is heaven’s cure for anxiety.
“Get back in your hole, anxiety! The Lord has always dealt bountifully (generously, lavishly, lovingly) with us, and there’s no reason to believe He won’t do so now!”
I made this little discovery while grieving for my parents. Mom and Dad lived long lives (each was almost 96 when God took them), so I have no complaints. But I loved them dearly and still miss them every day.
Once when the grief for my father was almost inconsolable, I began giving thanks to the Lord for the wonderful things about Dad that I’ll never forget.
Almost instantly, the pain went away and was replaced by a sweet joy. That was a great discovery. Joy and grief may sometimes exist alongside each other, but anxiety and joy may not, in my experience.
“Weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Pastors, see if these assurances from God’s Word minister to your people as they have many generations before.
JOE MCKEEVER (@DrJoeMcKeever) pastored for 42 years and has been preaching the gospel since 1962. He blogs regularly for pastors and other church leaders at JoeMcKeever.com.
