Our God voiced the words and spoke the earth into being. From microbes to gigantic dinosaurs, and intertwined intricate ecosystems. The tiniest parts of atoms to a universe. He set the stars in their places. But their light and power have nothing on His. He shines like the sun (Matt 17:2, Rev 1:16 and 21:23).
Are we holding onto that? Believing that?
Remember the passage from Job chapters 38 to 40, where God answers Job from the whirlwind? Job has been complaining and God challenges:
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?” (Job 38:4-5)
“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’? (Job 38:34-35)
“Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.” (Job 40:9-10)
Wow! Read those words again. They should fill us with awe and inspiration. This is the God we worship.
The stories the Bible tells us
The Bible tells us that He sent a great flood, opening the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven. He sent ten destructive plagues on Egypt, showing up their false gods and rescued the ancient Israelites from what was then one of the most powerful nations on earth. He parted the Red Sea, sending a strong wind to dry the path for the Israelites to escape the Egyptians and slammed the mighty sea waters back together after the Israelites, drowning the Egyptians behind them.
This same God, fed his people with manna, quails and by ravens, tumbled down the walls of Jericho, caused large armies to flee before a few, sent down fire from heaven, closed the mouths of lions, saved men from burning up in a fiery furnace, healed deadly illnesses, neutralized the poisoned bite of serpents, and resurrected people from the dead to name just a few miracles.
Do we really believe our God is powerful?
But as people who say we follow such a Living and Almighty God Who is capable of the mightiest of deeds including divine protection, we aren’t acting like we believe fully and completely in Him.
We are allowing ourselves to be panicked by a declared pandemic. Agreeing with and justifying the lockdowns of human governments that force us to hide away in our homes. So fearful of a virus, we are afraid to meet together without social distancing and masks. Afraid to sing hymns, unmasked before our Creator. As ministry, too many of us are afraid to preach to our congregations in person unless they have been injected with man-made vaccines.
If we are not afraid of the virus, we are afraid of the authorities who are enacting brutal unlawful laws. So again, we hide away. We keep our churches closed, masked, “social-distanced” hoping that if we obey, if we comply, we will be safe from their jails and prisons. From negative societal and media feedback. From losing charity status.
My dear brethren – men and women, that’s not how it works. A spirit of fear and panic is not of God (2 Timothy 1:7). The righteous are bold as lions (Prov 28:1). They do not tremble for fear of men or nature because they know their God is powerful. We are supposed to be those righteous people who trust only in that mighty and faithful Heavenly King Who still performs miracles. We are redeemed from the world by the blood of Jesus Christ. We need to act like it! To stand firm in the Lord. Stand up and be counted.
Psalm 91:3-6
“Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
