During these uncertain times, we are living with a global pandemic and having to practice social distancing. I have had more than enough time to really seek God in prayer. As I was praying one evening, the thought came to me, IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE. In the blink of an eye, literally, everything changed. Suddenly we couldn’t attend a regular church service, have parties, go to movies, hang out with friends and family, and go out to eat- BAM, it was gone.
I will say this: we truly do not understand how many things we take for granted until they are gone. Praise the Lord for technology! We live in a day and age where we have so many options to stay connected. For example, we can use Zoom meetings to see our church family and friends pretty much face to face, or Facetime (iPhone) to have video calls with family. To think that we can listen to so many different preachers, preaching sermons of hope to a world that is in dire need of some encouragement amazes me!!
Stepping Out and Stepping Up
Now, as many of you know, I live an extremely busy life; however, this forced isolation has caused me to stop and enjoy the extra time that I am able to spend in prayer and God’s word. God’s Glory is still shining in those who trust, believe, and pray!! His light is shining and is giving his children creative ideas in this dark time. People are sending letters to one another, they are leaving small care packages on porches to spread hope and love. Despite our current situation, they are taking the time to make an actual phone call to check on the people that God has put in their lives, or destined their paths to cross. The body of Christ is stepping out and stepping up!
Turning
I am amazed at how God is using the pandemic to bring people who haven’t trusted or talked to God in a while, “if ever,” to their knees to pray for wisdom and hope. Praise God for all the salvations there have been and will continue to be through this time.
This has been a time where God is breaking off pride and fear because He wants us to completely trust Him! He does not want us to rely on ourselves but to rely on only Him! His power! His provision! His promises!
These are all things only God can provide as we are all broken and in need of a Savior. What better time for people to understand this than now as we deal with COVID-19 and this global pandemic.
Humility and Faith
2 Chronicles 7:14 (AMP) 14 “and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.
1 Peter 5-6: (TPT) If you bow low in God’s awesome presence, he will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands. Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you. Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure. And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up. And he has all the power needed to do this—forever! Amen.
God has been dealing with me to get his word deep inside of me, not to just rely on the distractions of today, distractions like YouTube, Facebook, T.V., and cell phone. You fill in the blank with what might be a distraction for you, as this looks different for each of us. Now do not misunderstand me, I really enjoy listening to the word from different pastors, including my favorite, Pastor Tom 😊. But in a Blink of an Eye it could all be gone!!
I believe that God wants to use this time that we have, to get into our Bibles, to get his word deep inside of us. Nothing can take that away. Nothing. Even if we were ever faced with losing all our connections to the Internet, or cell phone towers, we wouldn’t need to worry because we would still have His word deep inside of us.
I believe that this season should be a wake-up call for us. This is an opportunity for us to remove the ungodly things that we tend to rely on from our lives and open our Bibles and develop a stronger personal relationship with our Father! He will guide us and teach us that He is really the one who knows us best; He knows our most intimate secrets, insecurities, and sins. In other words, God knows exactly what each of us needs.
I never thought I would see the day that we would be told that we could not attend church, yet here we are. I mean, this is something you read about in other countries. Who would have thought we would see this day in America !!! Not me! I know God loves us and wants what is best, and He will turn this crisis for good. So the Lord has encouraged me to meditate, get my spirit full of his word and praise, so when times like we are experiencing now strike, only the glory of God and his word immediately come out of me.
Psalm 119:27(AMP) Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so that I will meditate (focus my thoughts) on Your wonderful works.
Psalm 119:48 And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes.
Never Alone
There is definitely another thing that I have discovered during this time of isolation. I’m sure that I’m not alone: I need people, I need to touch them, I need to hug them, I need to visit with them. I never want anybody to feel alone or isolated. I always want them to feel loved.
I have always known I am a people person, but never thought it would affect me the way that it has. I need my friends and family time! I’m going to be transparent- Satan invited me to a pity party, I, unfortunately, attended this party for a short time. I can be emotional at times -BUT PRAISE GOD HE HELPS ME !!
I had a thought, nobody ever checks on me, I had been calling and checking on people for about 3 weeks at this time! So after a full day of a pity party(crying and everything), I told the Lord I love you. I choose to see the goodness in the land of the living. I began to thank the Lord for showing me creative ideas of reaching out to people, asking Him to remind me that this is not about me, it is about me doing what He asked me to do.
I found a song and got it in my spirit. I played this song over and over for days -” I SPEAK JESUS” – We need to take time to worship him!! God is in control!
Worshiping the Lord always brings peace. It gets our focus off the problem and onto the solution. Right after I chose to worship, I had messages from 4 different friends texting or calling me to see how I was doing. God had put me on their minds. I was not alone. Satan tried to bring depression on me because he knows that I am an active person and need people – even though I have my family which is such a blessing, I would not trade getting to be with my family, they are awesome and I’m so grateful!
Focusing
Here is another thing: Not being able to shop – WOW that has been hard. Add that to not being able to be with friends and family, or going to church! WOW. I miss these things. BUT I choose to think about what I can do and not what I can’t do. Instead, I am focusing on God’s promises.
I bought an in-house walking and weight lifting video, I am doing lots of cooking. I’ve played with some false eyelashes (hahaha), which I so enjoyed. I did an in house scavenger hunt with my 4 adult children and 4 Grand-Children (first one to text me a picture of all 10 Items, wins a gift card), this brought so much laughter to me. WE NEED TO LAUGH.
This was not easy. I had to get on my knees to tell Jesus I need you – this really stuck out to me, I am not sure where I saw it, I wrote it down and put in my heart! I CHOOSE TO LIVE!!! I REFUSE TO QUIT!! YOU LOSE SATAN! I belong to JESUS!! I believe it is good to put on the Armor of God daily – Ephesians 6:10-18 because EVERYTHING CAN CHANGE IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE – BUT GOD SEES ALL THINGS AND KNOWS EVERYTHING!! We win with Jesus!!!
Billie Sue Reynolds
