This afternoon I was listening to a video of someone who claims they have the corona virus and how they have been dealing with it. One of the first things the person said was that it’s not a question of if you will get the virus but when. This didn’t sit too well with me. Next, she went on to describe the various concoctions she was using to help her fight the virus. As I listened, I realized that many people probably wouldn’t have half of the ingredients she mentioned. I certainly didn’t. As the video continued to play I realized that I just did not want to listen anymore, so I stopped it. I started talking to God. I told Him that this virus seemed to be more popular than Him. It was getting so much attention and airplay. Social media and the news are saturated with information and comments on this virus. It is as if it has become a god and people are idolizing it more than they realize.
          Recently I was reminded of some of the words of a familiar sung song by Chris Tomlin, “Indescribable”. The words are: 
Indescribable, uncontainable
You put the stars in the sky
And You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable
Awestruck we fall to our knees 
As we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
          How easy it has been for us to forget the greatness and awesomeness of Jehovah God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). He is the God who parted the waters of the Red Sea to let His people, the Israelites, pass through safely on dry ground (Exodus 14:21-22). He’s the God who made the sun stand still for almost a whole day so that Joshua and his Israelite army could fight against and defeat their enemies (Joshua 10:12-13). He is the God who raised up any army from dry bones in a valley (Ezekiel 37:10). He is the God who delivered His people when some nations rose up together to fight against them and when His people worshiped Him He caused those same nations to fight against and destroy each other causing His people to NOT even have to lift a finger to fight with them (2 Chronicles 20:1-2, 22-24). That was just in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, He sent His Son, Jesus the Messiah, who raised the dead, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and through His death on a cross, provided salvation from the power of sin and its consequences as well as hope to all who call on Him. Our God is AWESOME!!! Yet we are overwhelmed by news and views on a virus that is a mere insignificant thing in comparison to Our God. 
          Let us not forget who the real GOD is. Let’s not forget that He is a Way maker, He is a Healer, He is a Deliverer but above all He is a Father and a Friend, One who actually loves us, who knows each of us by name. His plans for us are still to prosper not to harm us to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Imagine, hope and a future, yet many seem to be giving power to a virus that is promising death and no future!!! Let us not glorify or magnify anyone or anything else but our God. He has never failed us before, He is not going to start now. When or if discouragement comes, let's try praising and worshiping God instead. And if God chooses to allow the virus to come your way, just remember that as a child of God, whether we live or die it’s a win win situation either way. If we stay on this earth we get to do God’s work but if we die we get to spend eternity with Him. If your life is in God’s hands why worry? He’s got you and He is still in control. The virus can still only do what God allows it to do. So, don't waste time in fear and in the unnecessary "worship" of the wrong thing but use this time to draw closer to God and allow Him to teach you what He wants you to learn in this season.
 

​            A week or two ago I was at the gym doing some exercise. I adjusted the weights on the machine and I was reminded of a conversation at work with a couple of co-workers about exercise. We concluded that unless you increase the weights in your routine you are not accomplishing anything, in short you are not building much needed muscle. I remembered this as I adjusted the weight on the machine. I was so tempted to continue using the lighter weight that was comfortable. I would not feel the pressure, the discomfort or any pain, especially afterwards, but then I would also not be toning up my body and building those muscles to help me be a healthier me. 
            I paralleled this to our spiritual lives. It would be so easy to go through life without problems, without pain, without any stress. That would be so amazing . . . or would it? If every step or rather level of my spiritual walk were easy, free from challenges and tests, I would never actually grow.  I would never need to run to God, then my relationship with Him would be virtually non-existent. 
         Like so many others now, I too can look at this Corona Virus and the effect it’s having on the entire world. This virus is one of those major things in our life that we wish we could avoid, we wish we would never have to go through. It’s one of those stresses we can certainly do without. It’s not just affecting some small area in our life it’s affecting our entire life. Many are restricted in ways they would never have imagined, others are facing fear that threatens to asphyxiate the very life out of them. It’s hard to see the good God can possibly bring out of this but He will. In fact, if we put it into perspective, even this is building spiritual muscle in us. For those of us who were comfortable where we were in our Christian walk, all of a sudden, the “weight” has increased. We are panting, we are groaning as we adjust to this new and heavier weight. The problem is, unlike in a gym where we can adjust the weight on the machine to something lighter, more bearable, more comfortable, we can’t adjust this one in that way. So, as we deal with it, we feel the pinch, we feel the pressure, we shift, we even adjust ourselves and we cope as best we can. 
            Church doors are closing in more and more countries and it seems as if the devil is laughing at us … and winning. But he isn’t. Now we have the opportunity to really reach the world for Christ in a bigger way. As the world is looking for answers, guess what, we still have THE answer. God hasn’t changed or gone anywhere. We don’t need a church building to win the lost … we need Christ. And we always had Him. Now we have the opportunity to go beyond the church walls to where the people are. Now we can get creative and use the available resources to reach the lost for Him. I guess our spiritual muscle is being built as we pray more, focus and choose to stand on God’s Word and encourage others. We are being “toned up” and have the chance to become “healthier” Christians, vessels that are fit for the Master’s use.
         If you think about it, so many men and women in the Bible went through “muscle building” experiences. Joseph went through his challenges. Each time life would seem to be going in his favor, something would happen to make his life uncomfortable and difficult. His brothers rejected him and got rid of him; in Egypt when he was starting to see some favour, he was falsely accused and thrown into jail and when he thought he was going to be released from jail he was forgotten and had to remain there a little longer (Genesis chapters 37 - 40). I guess you could say that with each challenge and disappointment, his spiritual muscles were being developed because by the time he became Pharaoh’s right-hand man he was more than qualified and equipped to handle the job and by the time he met his brothers again he was more than humble and ready for reconciliation. 
            No, we don’t like those “weights.” They are so uncomfortable and even painful, yet so necessary to our spiritual growth and development. I like how the apostle Paul puts it: “Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).