The late comedian Bob Hope once reported a snow storm in Palm Springs. He called it “God’s way of reminding the rich that he is more powerful than they are.”

I feel that way about this current coronavirus (COVID‑19) pandemic. I feel that God is reminding us of God’s expectations of us. In Micah 6:8 from the New Living Translation we read: “. . . the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” God wants us to live changed lives: not egoistic and self‑centered, worshiping wealth and depending on brute force. God expects us to be fair, just, merciful, and humble. This calls for extreme sacrifices on all our parts. We must restrain our pride and rebuke our prejudices. We are so used to exercising our individual freedoms that we forget about what’s in the best interest of others, the collective good. As the people of God, we need to show mutual respect and love for one another.

We are often like the little boy who got a dog from his grandparents for his birthday. Unfortunately, the dog had no ears. The boy asked his grandparents what he should call the dog, to which they replied, “There’s no sense in calling it anything, since it won’t hear you anyway!”

There are times when life goes so smoothly that we in effect stop listening to each other — we have no need to hear anything beyond what we’re immediately involved in. But God has a way of getting our attention. At these times, we must be on the alert, pray deeply, carefully study God’s Word, listen intently to those who have something to say, and tune in to what God is saying to us in this frightening and frustrating period in our lives.

Now is the time for God’s people to live up to God’s expectations. Are we being fair in our dealings with others? Do we show mercy to those who wrong us? Are we learning humility? This time of “shelter‑in-place” and “social distancing” provides an opportunity for us to examine ourselves to determine if we are, in fact, living rightly.

So Isaiah 26:20 (NLT) says, “Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed.”

May God bless you and keep you safe!

 

Joseph L. Johnson

Senior Pastor