16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Yesterday, I noticed a post from a friend of mine requesting prayers for a loved one. He brought her to the hospital when she began experiencing all the symptoms of a respiratory illness. What caught him off guard was that they would not allow him to be near his loved one, but requested that he isolate to avoid coming down with the same thing she had. To think that his loved one is alone in a room hooked to a ventilator without his presence or reassuring words that she would be Okay is in one sense taking the will to live away.
I learned through this painful process that we are social beings who desire and need to be around people. It is one reason we set the alarm clock for a early rise to drive to our offices. The work routine seems routine after a while, but it is the associations with our colleagues that make it all worth while. Now we have the shelter-at-home policy along with the social distancing that makes it hard to maintain contact with them.
While I lament over this policy, I have come to realize that it is for our own good and for the good of others who suffer from secondary conditions that could threaten their lives if they come into contact with the Covid-19. So, I find ways of making my forced isolation time productive by connecting with friends by phone and supporting area restaurants with take-out to exercising for an hour on my exercise bicycle to praying for friends who suddenly become a casualty of the Covid-19.
As I read God's word, I'm reminded by our Lord that God never promised that life would be easy, but He did say that there will be hard and difficult times we occasionally will face. But at the same time, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who took the menacing blows that were meant for us while dying on the cross before raising from the dead after 3 days in the tomb. He did so just John 3:16 reminds us that 'God so loved the world that he gave his own begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” When one looks at all the religions in this world one will noticed that they are all about good works and trying to justify your righteousness to get into heaven. Think for example of a series of bars reaching up. Some are long while others are shorter. The problem is they never seem to reach heaven. On the other hand, noticed the the arrow that touches the ground below all because He sent his son to die for you and me.
We are living in difficult times with the uncertainty of the corona virus and who it is going to impact next, but we have the assurance simply by asking Jesus Christ to come into your heart that if anything happens to you, you will experience eternal life in this place called heaven.
Let's say this virus eventually goes away through a miraculous medication and you return to life as you knew it before the virus struck? You have Christ assurance that he will guide you in this life through the power of the holy spirit implanted in you. You will have peace that God is walking with you in this life.
That momentary isolation you feel will be replace by God's peace that everything will work out.
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