“He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” Colossians 1:17

Coronavirus. Isn’t it strange how much fear has been caused by a word that, only three or four months ago, most of us had never even heard of?

Who Do You Trust?
Do you find that you’re spending more time watching or reading the news, vigilantly tracking the number of new virus cases and the death toll, at the expense of reading your Bible?
If so, perhaps it’s time to ask yourself, “who am I placing my trust in, myself or the Lord?”
It’s in times such as these that we learn where our security lies. Do we truly trust that God is in complete control?

God is writing your story and mine.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose….”  Romans 8:28

We can unintentionally become controlling. It starts with an expectation of how we think things should be, for ourselves, our family, (especially our family!) our church, our country …. we feel burdened with responsibility for keeping everyone safe and happy, and making sure everything turns out ‘right.’ But control is not a burden that God designed you carry. It isn’t your job to work all things together for good, it’s God’s.

God is the author of life, weaving and intertwining chapters and scenes with more wisdom and complexity than we could ever begin to fathom. He works the whole story for His perfect purposes.
Am I saying God wrote this terrible sickness into the story? No, I’m not. I’m saying that our gracious, kind, loving Heavenly Father is turning EVEN THIS virus around, weaving it into the story, working it together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. That’s His nature. Our God is good.

Trust God with the end of the story
You trusted Him with the beginning part of your story, when you gave your heart to Him. Trust Him with the whole story. Whatever each day holds, Jesus, the One who “holds all things together,” asks us to relax our clenched fingers, and release our vice-grip on the controls. If you have been battling anxiety, worry or fear, He says to you “receive the gift of peace I have already given you.”

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid”  John 14:27

News broadcasts will continue to bring us updates, some positive, some pretty negative. Let’s not be a people who wring our hands in despair, but who instead lift them, first in praise to our God, who is still on the throne and absolutely in control, and then in help for our neighbours, (observing social distancing) being His ambassadors.

Jill 💜