Scripture: Amos 3 v 7 - 8: "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?"We stand at the threshold of 2021 and the pandemic we hoped was subsiding has become more fearsome, spreading faster, attacking the younger ones, showing severe inflammation of the whole body.
For those who believe in Jesus we need to believe what He said is true or there is no hope. We know the end is near but we do not know how near. The sands of time are running swiftly through the hourglass and we must trust that Jesus is in full control.
Isaiah 53 v 4 - 6: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
This is one of the most profound prophecies of the crucifixion. Jesus bore our sins and sicknesses so if we are in Him today we should be without fear of sickness and death. Many of us will die before the Rapture removes the living Christians, and be waiting for our loved ones in Heaven.
So those who pass away at this time will not have long to wait. In Corinthians it says, Absent from the body, present with the Lord. It's just a step from Earth to glory. So fear not what the new year may bring, our Saviour is mindful of us.
Psalm 91 v 1 - 6: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday."
The Lord is saying very clearly that we must not fear He has us covered. He will deliver us from the scary pestilence of coronavirus, and from the terror of this plague that sneaks up on us.
If God has a purpose for us being on this planet, and He surely does, even if we are waiting for it to be revealed, then we will not die before that purpose is fulfilled. If we abdicate our responsibilities then we must renew our commitment or take our chances.
This is a time of reflection and prayer, keeping our fellowship with the Lord as strong as possible and as much as we can. He is the source of life, health, wealth and truth. The world is indifferent to Him and what He has done, but if there are any positives out of this pandemic it is that many have seen the Light of Jesus and followed Him.
To the world the future looks bleak but to us is the joy of soon being in the full presence of God for eternity. Our presence in this world is to be a witness to the Living Christ in our hearts and allow Him to touch as many people as He can reach through us. We are to be super-spreaders of truth and righteousness to counteract this virus, and other troubles, wherever we can.
Jesus is the Healer and He has passed this gift to us.
Mark 16 v 15 - 20: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."
These verses apply to us today as much as it did to them who watched Jesus ascend into Heaven. We shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. The Lord will work with us confirming His Word with signs following. He always does and so He gets all the glory.
This just arrived and I copy a part of it, written by Rev. Warren Watermeyer, titled What a Year.
"Of the 20 years that I have been in full-time ministry, this has, by far, been the most exciting and simultaneously difficult year. A year of great loss and pressure, of great change and challenges. A year where I have witnessed great personal growth, great faith growth and great sorrow and heartache. A year you wouldn't wish for, but one you're grateful for.
A year where verses written in the Bible become alive, because they are being lived. A year like no other, yet just another year.
Far greater years have been had, far greater ones are yet to come. No matter what the challenge, what the change, what the year, Someone stays the same. He works every year, every situation, every challenge for His good... even when we can’t see it or understand it.
So, maybe instead of saying, “What a year!” We should be saying, “What a God we serve!”"
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for every Word in the Bible and how real the Word becomes when we are challenged. Help us to do what is right to fulfilling our purpose so that many more will become believers. Let us have no fear of what lies ahead, Lord, for You hold the future in Your hands. In Jesus' name. Amen.