4 minute read
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” (Psalm 145:8 NIV)
God is rich in love.
In a year like 2020, one filled with strife, people may question God’s love for them. If God loves the world, why would He send a pandemic? Viruses are a part of life. Man didn’t create them; God did. They balance nature:
“Viruses keep Earth’s bacterial population in check. They break up and kill bacteria at the just-right rates and in the just-right locations to maintain a population and diversity of bacteria that is optimal for both the bacteria and for all the other life-forms.” Hugh Ross
In farming terms, viruses “thin the herd,” meaning weaker animals don’t survive while stronger ones do. In conversation, you will hear the phrase “herd immunity,” which means the virus has run its course through the flock. Gratefully, we are close to that point with COVID-19. The introduction of a vaccine makes the virus’s life span that much shorter.
Love isn’t contingent on circumstance.
COVID devastates people’s lives. One of my dear friends lost her husband in September to the illness. Many have lost loved ones this year, but not all from the virus. Suicide rates and domestic abuse are rising. Two friends lost their children to suicide because of the stress of quarantine. The darkness that surrounds the world is heavy. Hurting hearts exist in every part of the earth. But God’s love is still rich.
God’s love is evident in the health care workers who nurture the sick. We see His love in the actions of neighbors who help those around them. Jesus’s love brightens the world through His followers as they serve others. Currently, my church is supporting a family of six through the Angel Tree network. Together, as a community, we are meeting the family’s needs helping them through this difficult time.
When I enter into conversations about COVID, I think of the Titanic. On the date of the ship’s launch, May 31, 1911, an employee made this statement:
“Not even God himself could sink this ship.”
He was, in fact, wrong. The Titanic hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage, more than 1500 people died. Because the shipbuilders were so confident in their creation, they didn’t add enough lifeboats. Of the 2,228 passengers on board, lifeboats could only accommodate about half of them. Man thought he was smarter than God; he wasn’t.
God has a plan. What is going on in the world is part of His divine purpose. Understanding isn’t necessary for us to live life fully. COVID will end, but God’s love never will.
Trust God’s word. He is compassionate. He is slow to anger and rich in love. No one loves you more than Jesus.
Question of the Day:
Who can you share God’s love with today?
Further Reading: Zechariah 9:1-17 NIV, Revelation 17:1-18 NIV, Psalm 145:1-21NIV, Proverbs 30:32 NIV
