Word of the Week - Peace in the Storm (Coronavirus)

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord.  “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2With the recent spreading of the Coronas Virus (COVID-19), we are experiencing unprecedented times in our country and world.  It is during these times that God does His best work in us and through us if we simply turn to Him for comfort, guidance/wisdom and peace.  As noted above in Psalm 91 and throughout scripture God promises us that He will protect us and lead us if we simply love Him by abiding in Him and put our faith and trust in Him.  So many scriptures come to mind in regards to what we are facing to include on of my lifetime favorites Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all things and He will direct your paths and keep you safe”.  It is times like these when are faith is truly tested and we have a great opportunity to stand on the promises of God and receive the perspective and peace of God so we can be a light of hope and encouragement for those around us.  As I have  prayed, reflected and pursued the Lord over the past few days He has filled me with peace and hope along with very practical wisdom that I would like to share to encourage you my friends and family in this time of uncertainty.  Here are a few God principals and truths along with some data based information to help you as you navigate through this time:Perspective - God is Sovereign so let’s Trust Him – The essence of knowing God is understanding that He is God and His ways are not our ways.  We cannot understand all the ways of God but we can trust that His plan is a good plan and that He loves us and “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for us who are called according to his purpose and plan” Romans 8:28.  The key here is that we simply “trust God” and know that He is a good and loving Father who is “Compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” Psalm 103:8  The word of God is the story of God’s love for us and there are numerous examples where He allows things like disease and illness to impact humanity for the purpose of drawing people to Himself.  He does make it clear that His children will be under His protection during these times “Because they love me, “says the Lord,”  I will rescue them; I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name” Psalm 91:14Peace - Having serenity balanced with courage and wisdom – “Lord give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” I love the Serenity prayer because it puts things into a healthy and godly perspective when we understand that there are many things out of our control and thus it is futile if we exert our energy trying to change things that we cannot influence or change. That being said, we all have gifts, authority and centers of influence that we should focus our energy and resources to serve and influence during this time.  The key is to have godly wisdom to know the difference especially as the world around us is dazed and confused and the media is over dramatizing the situation creating fear and panic.  The good news is that God promises us that He will give us wisdom and courage if we pray to Him and ask for it.  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let Him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him” James 1:5Plan - Know the facts, gain counsel and make a sound plan – We must trust God in His sovereign power and pray for Wisdom as we use our eyes, ears and intellect to gain knowledge (facts & data) and seek godly and wise counsel from trusted sources.  Once we gain perspective and find peace in Christ, we have courage to step up and take action and face things head on so we can have clarity to make good decisions and a sound plan of action.  In times of crisis it is important that we discern facts from fodder, especially in situations like this where political undertones can really skew news and information.  “In God we trust, and all others bring data” Edward Deming  See following links for recent data driven report “Coronavirus “Why you must act now””   https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca and this short video that explains the math behind “How the Coronavirus is growing” https://youtu.be/Kas0tIxDvrg .  Having a sound and well thought out plan based on current facts and good reason is simply smart and reassuring to those around us who are depending on our leadership. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty”.  Proverbs 21:5  Even with a great and well thought out plan we must remain open to be led by the Lord and His spirit as things develop knowing that the plan will change and evolve as we move forward and gain more insight and understanding.  “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”. Proverbs 16:9Power – Abiding in the Lord through prayer and meditating on God’s Word – “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all of my fears” Psalms 34:4.  God’s power is supernatural and has the ability to instantly change our perspective and move us from fear to faith then to focus on what we can do to turn an adverse situation into an opportunity for growth and blessing.  “For God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity but one of power, love and sounds mind” 2 Tim 1:7  Let’s seek after the Lord through prayer and standing on the promises of His word so our faith can rise up and we can walk in the power of God with love and sound mind towards God and those around us.  I encourage you to read Psalm 91 https://www.bible.com/bible/111/psa.91.1-4,6-16.niv each day to build your faith and know the Power of the promises of God.Finally, I pray that as you seek first the Lord during this time He would bless you with a God perspective that gives you peace that surpasses understanding, and godly wisdom and clarity so you can have sound mind as you plan for your family, business and community.  Mostly I pray that you would remain in Him and encounter His power during this time and use it to be a light of hope and encouragement to those around you for a time such as this.“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge, and make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” Psalm 91: 9-11 We are better together, so as we practice physical distancing let’s stay connected to Christ and each other.-Duane