Could there be a blessing in this pandemic?

For most people, the worldwide crisis is taking longer than anticipated. How are you coping? Though the restrictions vary from place to place, the hopelessness of the situation is common. The mask has become a symbol of fear and death and we can’t help but cry in silent agony, how much longer? These times are hard for all of us. It’s hard to face uncertainty as the whole world seems to spin out of control. As I pondered these past long months, God has been stirring my heart about the hidden blessing in the midst of these desperate times. In the past, I’ve been able to see the unexpected blessing that trials can bring when placed in the hand of God. The current trial we are all facing is devastating but it also hides a powerful opportunity to draw closer to God. We spend so much of our time trying to understand this virus when we could be evaluating our hearts before God. This crisis can be used mightily by Him to cause revival in and around us. It’s the perfect ground for preparing the soil of our heart so new growth can take place. When everything is normal, we feel in control and rarely feel the need to make any changes. Nothing is as it used to be at the moment and we simply have no control over anything, be it health or finances. Maybe you’ve been pursuing God long before the pandemic but the truth is that we are to continue to pursue God even now. Or maybe you have been far from God for years but did you know that we can grow cold toward Him even if we seek Him on a daily basis because of our natural tendency to become ritualistic in our relationship with God? Whatever the case may be, we are in the perfect place, in the perfect moment, to turn wholeheartedly toward God. In my own life, I realise that there is such a great need to run after God and to spend more time with Him. We don’t know how much longer the pandemic will take but we do know one thing- we can turn our hearts toward God during these times more than ever! The nation of Israel was so far away from Him that He referred to them as being a prostitute. Yet, God didn’t leave them there and He is not about to abandon you. God is able to turn the greatest disaster into the most abundant of blessings.

“And now, here’s what I’m going to do:
I’m going to start all over again.
I’m taking her back out into the wilderness
where we had our first date, and I’ll court her.
I’ll give her bouquets of roses.
I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.
She’ll respond like she did as a young girl,
those days when she was fresh out of Egypt.”

Hosea 2:14-15 (MSG)