By: Jenna H., Class of 2023
Coronavirus.
A word that has been constantly driven into our minds. Many reacted and are still reacting in fear. To be totally honest, when I had first heard about the virus, I was afraid. I didn’t understand what was going on and I just wanted things to be normal again. I wanted to see my friends, I wanted to be able to go shopping, and I wanted to just get back to the life I knew before.
But God tells us to react differently. He tells us that, when we live in Him, He doesn’t give us fear. Instead, He gives us peace when we know and come to understand that we are safe in the hands of our Great God. And that He does not want us to panic, but to look to Him and trust Him. Read 1 Timothy 1:7! This is what He is telling us to do. And while this can be hard, it is so important for us to do. Because, when we trust in Him, He replaces our fear and chaos with peace that only He can provide (Phillipians 4:6-7). A peace beyond our imagination. A peace that says, no matter the situation, that God is formulating a perfect plan for each one of us. Even when it’s confusing; even when we feel like it isn’t good.
He is in control, and He is a Good Father. A Father who will help us in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), and a Father who is always with us (Deuteronomy 31:6). When we are afraid, God is there. God is always here. And when I came to God with my worries and fears, He immediately replaced them with His amazing peace. We need to focus on His Word and His truth. Not the media and what they tell us. But on God and what HE tells us.
As we start to ease back to our normal lives, let us focus not on what the world is trying to feed us, but on what God gives us as truth. “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Proverbs 30:5).