Something unexpected came into our world and what did it do, it caused stress, fear, and uncertainty. A small thing that we cannot even see, and yet it attacks without prejudice. Yes, it’s COVID 19. For our own protection, we're told to use social distancing. We are to keep at a distance of six feet between ourselves and others. We are also told to stay home and to only go out for essentials like groceries and prescriptions. The freedom that we once had is no longer. I think it’s interesting that before this all happened, we kept ourselves so busy that we didn’t even notice that we are doing the exact same thing. Whether it is social distancing or busyness, the result is the same, feeling alone and isolated. One comes from our own free will; the other comes from being told what to do. At the time I was writing this, I was working at home like many others. Although its the first time that I have ever experienced this. Some people love it, but I was getting stir crazy and missed seeing others. I want to get back to normal, but is normal the best thing for me? If I let the busyness of life take over, then the answer is clearly no. For many of us, being alone is an awakening that has opened our eyes. We see the need for others, or we have discovered that we have distanced ourselves from them for much too long. In the bible, King Solomon was considered one of the wisest people to ever walk on the earth. When his father David died, God came to Solomon and said to ask for anything that he desired. Can you imagine God asking you that question? What would you say? What would your request be to the God of all creation? Well, Solomon asked for something very unlikely, he asked for wisdom. He said, give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. Well, God was pleased, and I think that it would fair to say that Solomon was given that wisdom and discernment. In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 4 that was written by Solomon, he says this, Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
This passage says that we are not meant to be alone. We need others, and others need us. Maybe God is using the COVID 19 virus to change our thinking. We have traded the things that are most important for a counterfeit. Listen, even if we are told to stay home we still need others. Let me challenge you to reach out to someone, brighten their day, let God use you. You see, when things go back to normal, will we continue to live the same way that we used to, or will we change? God wants to use your life to make a difference. How about if you start today!
Over the last couple of weeks, I have noticed some changes that I never recognized before. Some virus attacks our world, fear and confusion surfaces and something was taken from us. Do you know what it is? Freedom. All of a sudden, we are not free to go anywhere we want. We are not free to be in groups. We are not free to worship with others. What will we do? The temptation is to find something that will temporarily fill the emptiness. That’s easy to do but it doesn’t bring satisfaction. Actually, it just brings guilt and shame. The only thing that will truly fill the emptiness is time with God. Maybe, that is the point. God is reminding us of the things that really matter. His presence never leaves us, but as it has been said many times before, we leave him. This morning I was spending time with God and this verse came into view. The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Isaiah 29:13 So the question remains, What are you filling your heart with today?
Rick