PROVERBS 19:21, Dealing with COVID 19 Pandemic

Proverbs 19:21

People may plan all kinds of things but the Lord's will is going to be done.

This verse became so real for me during this time.

This pandemic seems to stop the world - at least for me or maybe to some of you? I guess.

So how are we going to continue living with hope and joy at such time as this?

Here are some things I want to share which the Lord has been encouraging me to do.

1. Stay connected and be thankful.

Ephesians 5:18-20

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with Spirit.
Speaking to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;

Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.

Maybe what I want to highlight is "not to get drunk with wine but with the Spirit".

For me, it means to not dwell on the sadness, disappointments or worries we're might be feeling during these times.

When my fiancé and I announced that our wedding has to be postponed, many of our friends reached us out, and honestly, I felt overwhelmed with them.

I appreciate their messages but I don't know, It made me depressed somehow.

It became hard for me to tell the same things over and over again because every time I share, It maximizes the hurt and the disappointments I have.

I was ashamed to share what happened to us because it felt that He did not keep His promises for me.

I don't have the feeling of being confident in God.

So I have decided to shut down my messenger and even stop communicating with my accountability partners.

It felt, I only want to dwell with my bitterness and embrace the sadness I have.

Well I guess, the Lord did not want me to stay like that - over a long time.

I'm still having my quiet time every day even if sometimes I don't feel to have it - until one day, I encounter this verse from Ephesians in our Church's daily prayer.

I liked it but don't have the courage to embrace it.

Out of my boredom, I decided to check our group chat with my disciples (because I have a little burden to know what's happening about them since God has entrusted them to me), then upon communicating with them, they have suggested having our online discipleship group.

At first, I was hesitant because I was afraid that they might ask me how I am and I know I'm not willing to answer it.

I don't want to share anything about the wedding.

I was feeling ashamed to be sad because I know many people have more valid reasons to be sad due to this COVID 19 - especially those who lost their loved ones.

But at just the right time.

God speaks to me with that passage and moved me to agreed with them.

It says "speak to one another" in psalms and hymns, sing and make melodies with the Lord.

So in response, I also little by little get connected again with some of my accountabilities - sharing our life during this COVID 19, words from God, thanking God and together waiting on Him, for salvation and restoration.

I realized I was so selfish thinking only of myself.

I was focusing on my feelings that I don't have the desire to move forward and find meaning amidst these trials.

2. Don't give up on Praying.

2 Samuel 22:7

In my distress, I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple, He heard my voice,

And my cry for help came into His ears.

2 Samuel 24:25

...Thus the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

One thing is common about these verses.

"Pray because He hears it."

I have encountered something new about my prayer life - this is the "power of silent prayers".

There are times where I find it hard to be persistent in my prayers since I get nothing but discouragement whenever I'm seeing news on tv or in social media.

It doesn't help my faith but instead gives me no hope with our situation.

I can't see any improvement with our fight against this virus and so I always pray that may the Lord help me see some hopes that He is doing something - that He is really listening to us and has the plan to answer us positively.

In the middle of my "moving on" with my heartbreak.

A friend reached out to me.

She said, she heard what happened to us and shared that their wedding was postponed too - not once, but twice.

The first was due to the Taal Volcano eruption and now, due to this COVID 19 pandemic.

It felt I found someone who can understand me completely.

Someone I will not be worried about judging my emotions because she felt it too.

I felt good speaking with her - sharing encouragements and together waiting for the Lord promises to be fulfilled.

I shared this thing to my friends and accountabilities - and one of them said that she was happy for my sharing because it was an answered prayer for her since she doesn't know how to comfort me, what to tell me or how to approach me.

A friend also told me that she didn't message me about it but always remembers me.

I was so touched by their silent prayers. :)

When someone prays for us, unless their prayers are voice out before us, their prayers are silent from us.

In that case, their prayers are silent from me.

I don't know about their prayers, what they prayed and I'm not aware that they are remembering us in their own personal time with the Lord.

The one who prayed for us doesn't really know if their prayers were already answered or not - until I shared it (but what if I did not?)

They just prayed out of their concerns, out of their burdens, out of their love.

Because of this, I realized that even if I don't see some good news at the moment, it doesn't mean God has forgotten us.

It doesn't mean that He is not working.

Not knowing something doesn't mean nothing is happening.

And so because of this, I get something new from the Lord.

He is teaching me not to give up on my prayers.

Besides, what's happening now is not new to this world.

At the beginning of time, this earth has already experienced famines, wars, pestilence or any kind of plagues we can name of.

The flood in times of Noah, the plagues in times of Moses, the famines and wars in times of the kings and prophets.

Nothing is new in this world.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 says,

History merely repeats itself.

It has all been done before.

Nothing under the sun is truly new.

Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually, it is old; nothing is ever truly new.

Bible tells us that there is always a season under heaven and we just have to be wise enough to respond to the season we are in.

We have to decide who will we hold on to, who will we turn to? and who will we count on to?

John 16:33 says,

In this world, we will have troubles but Jesus overcomes the world.

He is our help.

Psalm 121:1-2 says,

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;

From where shall my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made the heaven and earth.