Covid and God

By: Danielle Lee

God has laid on my heart this hard topic for this newsletter.

Firstly, I want to share a passage with you from Jeremiah 29:11. It says…

 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

This passage really resonates with me in this time of significant challenges. Our health system is failing. People are sick and even dying from COVID. 

In this pandemic God is here for us. He has good plans for us, not for disaster. He asks us to have hope in this trying time.

Part of this hope comes from the vaccines that we currently have, and we thank God for his providence in providing these vaccines so quickly, although some may argue perhaps not quick enough.  But then there are those people who are not vaccinated who are causing pressures on our health system.  We see the significant division in our society between those vaccinated and those unvaccinated.  Yet God wants us to love our neighbours and live in peace with one another.  We also see a world where the citizens of wealthier nations have access to the vaccines and poorer countries have limited or no access to the life saving cures.  So God, where is the good in all this?

Personally, I have struggled with mental health challenges for quite sometime now. I have felt disaster in my life. I have felt deep resignation and sadness because I had no hope. Funnily enough, when I felt this way, I would turn to the book of Job.

Job, was a faithful man. He was good man and did right by God. However, Satan wanted to test him and God agreed. He gave him painful sores and took his good life away. Job was angry with God and was wondering why he had forsaken him because he did not do anything wrong.

This story brings me hope. Why? Because God was there the entire time. HE WAS THERE.

I often hear from people that they feel like God has disappeared from this world. But that is not true. He is here for us. He is here to give us hope, because he is not here to bring us disaster. How do I know? Because I can feel his presence and I see people coming together to help each other out- bringing hope to one another, even in this time of COVID people are coming together. God is love. Without him we would have no good in this world.

I will leave you with one last scripture verse…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Praise be to God!