I think we all can agree that the world is getting chaotic. Besides the wars, hunger, growing violence and the growth of psychological diseases, recently, the entire world has been astonished watching the emergence of the so called Coronavirus pandemic.
World leaders, politicians in general, doctors and experts are running against the clock, trying to find a way out of this, but not entirely knowing what to do. In the midst of that flood of information and recommendations, people are getting lost, scared, frightened, while trying to live their lives and to protect themselves and their loved ones. Meanwhile, I have seen Christians and non-Christians, almost resorting to panic, expressing their opinions about their leaders’ decisions and about how to survive this frenetic atmosphere. In the midst of this chaotic situation, opinions and decisions may change upon the hour.
However, I am here to tell you that, no matter how agitated a situation may be, there is someone we can put on our trust. And that someone is God. Throughout the Bible, we can read about His character and His faithfulness. In the fist chapter of the book of Joshua, for example, God remembers Joshua about the promises He had made to the people of Israel. By bringing Joshua that remembrance, God commands him to be strong and to replace Moses in the position of leader of the people of Israel (because Moses had died), in order to conquer the land that He had promised the people.
Right away, God tells him: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5). It is interesting that, in this passage, God is telling Joshua about what He had told Moses years before, as it is written in Deuteronomy 11:24-25: “Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go”. By that example, we can see an example of the faithfulness of God in the fulfilment of His promises.
If we compare what God had said to Moses in Deuteronomy to what He told Joshua, we will see that His words were exactly the same, revealing a God that never changes. In James 1:17, God’s immutability is also acknowledged: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows“. In the Hebrew language, one of the names used to refer to God is El Shaddai, meaning the God who is all powerful, who is more than enough. The Bible, therefore, reveals a God that is always the same.
After listening to God’s instructions, Joshua immediately ordered the people to prepare themselves to cross the Jordan river, in order to possess the land promised by God: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own'” (Joshua 1:11). Here, we see the conviction Joshua had upon instructing the people. They just needed to follow the instructions given by God, because the possession of the land was already guaranteed.
Now, I call your attention to the fact that Joshua, even though being faithful to God, lived in an older time. A time before the coming of Jesus Christ. Joshua could not have the kind of connection with God as we can have today. When Christ came, He gave us the opportunity of having a new life, a renewed spirit, a spiritual connection with our Creator, giving us also the opportunity of calling Him our Father. Now, our spirits can be connected to the Spirit of God. However, what impresses me the most is the fact that, even though the fact that Joshua was not able to have this deep spiritual connection with the Lord, he was faithful in following His instructions and in passing them to the people. He knew that God was good and he honored His Words.
Throughout the Bible, we see that His goodness, His love and His mercy endure forever. In Psalms 106:1, it is written: “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever“. In Psalms 37:25, it is written: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread”. Verses like those are found in almost every book of the Bible. In times like the one we are living now, the truth seems as something changeable. Who should we believe in? Who should we trust? Of course we should obey our leaders, our government; we should obey the directions they give to us. However, we should have in mind that the only one capable to fully protect us and to give us peace of mind is God.
I am not here to discuss about the root causes of that virus or the causes of the other horrors we see throughout the world, but I can assure you that God is innocent. He is the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He did not cause any of this, but He is the one who can save and heal us.
And what is He waiting for? He is waiting for you to accept Him into your heart. He is waiting for you to give the lordship of your life to Him. He is waiting for your invitation. He is good; He does not impose Himself over you without you wanting to. Numbers 23:19 says: “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” I like this verse! It is another statement about the unchanging character of God – He is not a liar. He is a promise keeper and, if He promised, He is going to fulfill it.
And what did He promise? Isaiah 43:2 says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze”. That shows that, in unstable times, God is ready to give you peace of mind from the afflictions you may experience and a purpose for your life. Even in the middle of chaos, God has provision for your life, giving you emotional and psychological stability. God is good and He wants to show you His goodness.
If God saved the people of Israel from the many challenges they had to face, He is willing to do the same to us. However, for that to happen in your life, you have to accept Him. You have to believe in who He is with all of your heart. You do not need to feel abandoned, excluded or lonely. You can have a relationship with God and, in the midst of instability, He can be your unshakable rock.
Be blessed