“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
‭‭John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What helpful and comforting words from our Lord Jesus. It’s helpful to have a reality check from Jesus and here it’s directed towards the reality that we are going to experience tribulation while we are on this earth. It’s inevitable. It’s part of living in a world that has been broken and corrupted by sin. But we can take heart because our Savior has overcome this world. He has led the way in triumph and we can follow Him into victory as well. So don’t let the brokenness of this world rob your peace & joy. Be watchful and prayerful to fight for peace in this pandemic. Joy is the result of a prayerful life (John 16:24) and peace is the result of an attentive and reflective life (Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:8-9). Reflect of these words that Christ has spoken for He said them for your peace.

Prayer: Father, help us to be more influenced by your words than we are by all the other voices. Your words sanctify us (John 17:17) give us joy (John 15:11, Jeremiah 15:16) peace (John 16:33)!

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 ESV

Saints, The Lord has destined us for salvation through Jesus. We belong to Him and will be with him! So take heart, don’t fret & panic, our Good Shepherd will lead us through this!

Don’t believe the lie that Israelites bought into in the wilderness, namely that the Lord “hated” them and sought to “destroy” them. The Lord has not destined us for wrath but salvation. He is our Savior, our Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for us, His sheep (John 10:10-11). He is with us (Psalm 23:) and we will be with Him whether we sleep (die) our whether we remain awake (alive).

To live is Christ and die is gain (Philippians 1:21), so it’s a win win regardless of what comes our way.

Father, help us to really believe what you have said and really know deep within our hearts that you are for us not against us (Romans 8:32). May we know the depth of you love and let your love cast out fear!

In the book of Daniel there is powerful verse that says:

“He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” Daniel 11:32 ESV

There is an evident distinction between those who know God and those who don’t. Daniel wrote that those know God will be strong/stand firm and take action and this is in contrast to those who are seduced and violate the covenant. J.I. Packer in his book Knowing God highlights 4 marks of those who know their God from the book of Daniel:

1.Those who know their God have great energy for God

2. Those know their God have great thoughts about God

3. Those who know their God show great boldness for God.

4. Those who know their God have great contentment in God. (Knowing God pages 27-31)

It is vital for you to know God if you are going to stand firm through this evil day. You must be strong and stand in the power God’s might, not your own (Ephesians 6:10-19). The deception with be strong, the destruction will increase and the darkness will cover the earth as we’ve never seen it before, but the people who know their God will be wise and shine bright in the darkness (Daniel 12:3). God’s grace will sustain and carry us when we feel weak and weary.

Father, may those of us who know you get to know you better through giving ourselves to study of your word and prayer. May we introduce many to you and turn them to righteousness.

The world has gone into panic mode over the last week. Tens of Thousands of people have been infected by Covid19. And thousands have died from the virus. We have good reason to take seriously the situation making wise decisions but we don’t have good reasons to panic. Throughout the Bible the command to fear not is given more than any other command. Aside from the obvious reason that God commands us not to be afraid here are 12 biblical reasons Christians shouldn’t panic. There are many more to discover in the pages of Scripture but may you find these 12 to be helpful in fighting your fears.

1. God is with us- Hebrews 13:5-6, Psalm 23:4

2. God is our refuge & strength- Psalm 46:1-3

3. God is our help in time of trouble- Psalm 46:1-3

4. God is for us not against us- Romans 8:31

5. God loves us and nothing can separate us from His love- Rom. 8:37-39

6. Jesus is interceding for us- Hebrews 7:25, Rom. 8:34

7. Jesus is our Good Shepherd who came to give us life- John 10:10-11

8. Jesus has given us eternal life, we will never perish and no one can snatch us from his hand- John 10:28, 1 John 5:11-12

9. The Lord is our healer- Exodus 15:26, 1 Peter 2:24, James 5:15-16

10. The Lord strengthens & upholds us- Isaiah 40:10

11. The Lord is Sovereign over all things, including this virus – Ephesians 1:11, Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 40:9-31, Psalm 33:10-11, Revelation 1:5

12. The Lord has given us a hope through his promise of a world without death & pain- Revelation 21:4, Romans 8:18-25