These are times that try our very souls. Those of us who love planning, organizing, covering all possible scenarios in advance and avoiding pitfalls never saw this coming.
Earthquakes, floods, fires, nuclear explosions … yes, we fretted about them all. Which country would try to do the other in first … yes, we thought about that too.
But a bug that would cripple the whole world, bring death and terror in a whole new way?
Something that would drive us away from our worldly pleasures and send us inside for an unknown period of time?
Something that would even close the doors of our churches?
Something that would separate us from our loved ones, not in death, but in life? No, we did not see that coming.
But perhaps what we also did not understand is that we were created for such a time as this. Does God cause disease and suffering? No.
Does He allow it? Yes. Read Job and you will discover satan brought the misery. But you will also see God allowed it.
Suffering comes not to torture, but to test. Suffering comes not so God can see what we are made of. He already knows!
Suffering comes to refine us and let us know what we are made of and Who made us.
When all the things that have covered over who we truly are are stripped away, we see who we were made to be.
God had a Plan for us before we were born.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”
Jeremiah 1:5
He knew exactly what talents He put inside us.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
He knew exactly when He would send us to earth. He knows exactly how long our assignment will last.
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your Book before one of them came to be.”
Psalm 139:16
Why are we here now? Because God ordained that we be here at this unprecedented time in history. Every experience we have had in life has trained us for what we will do now.
God has called us. He is calling us now to grow up fully into who He created us to be.
But now, thus says The Lord, Who created you, and He Who formed you,
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.”
Isaiah 43:1
We have work to do.
May we be able to say with Jesus,
“I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do.”
John 17:4
I invite you to listen to this powerful song and ask God what He wants you to do now in such a time as this.
https://youtu.be/YmYOQ8h4wsM
