Faith chases away fear; but fear can chase away faith. Either we believe that God is good all of the time and makes all things turn out for good, or we don’t. We determine our emotions by whether we choose to trust the Lord with every situation, or surrender to imaginary fears.

There are moments in life when choices must be made. Some choices are easier than others because of the imagined benefits or outcomes of our choices. We cannot always see what our choices will result in and this is why many people live with regrets later in life. Among those with the greatest benefit in our choosing, are the moments when we decide to trust the Lord rather than give in to fear.

Most Christians have many years in the past when the Lord has been faithful and has brought them through several trials. Remembering what God has done for us already, is a help during present trouble. If the Lord has delivered us from trials before and has made things turn out for good, it is reasonable to trust Him in the present. If we remember the many times of our life when we were in danger and the Lord delivered us from all our fears, we can weather the present storms we are in today.

The world is filled with fear right now. People are afraid of death and the idea that they could acquire a virus that could quickly take their life, terrifies many.

People who know Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him, should not fear the presence of the Coronavirus, or the outcome of getting sick. If it is the will of God that we live, no virus or other danger can harm us. If it is the will of the Lord that we die, then we have great confidence that in an instant we will be in heaven where we will never get sick or die again. We must settle this issue early in our walk with Jesus or everything that comes along and brings us fear, will pull us away from our faith in Him.

Settling Issues Of LIfe And Death

One of the important principles for people who trust in Jesus, is the issues of life and death. Paul wrote that he had determined that whether he lived or died, these things were not under his control and it did him no good to worry about them. Adapting Paul’s attitude for ourselves, regarding life and death, will calm our fears and give us great confidence in the outcome of every frightening event.

If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. ~Romans 14:8-9

Understanding this important principle, Paul went on the see his entire life as in the hands of Jesus and his purpose in life, under the complete sovereignty of God.

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. ~Philippians 1:21-24

Paul was so positively committed to the will of God that both life and death were mutually attractive. If given the choice, Paul said he would find it hard to choose. The ultimate goal of every believer is to arrive at this place of faith in their own life—where not even death is feared, and life means only living for Jesus.

Paul had decided that living and dying were not under his control, but as he had submitted his life to Jesus, the Lord would decide the length of his life. Settling this matter, Paul saw both living for the Lord on earth as beneficial to people who were still here, and dying and going to be with Jesus as beneficial to Him. Either way, Paul saw a benefit, and for this reason—fear no longer had a place in his life.

If we see our life and death in the same way, then the presence of the Coronavirus or any other plague or threat, will not cause fear or panic to overpower our emotions.

Reasonable Decisions

We should make good choices in preparation for disasters that we see approaching. Hand washing, avoiding touching our face, avoiding large crowds, and not traveling within confined spaces with many people, are sensible ways to avoid getting a dangerous virus. Hoarding and panicking are not sensible reactions to a present threat. We can buy extra food and water so that we can stay indoors for a time as the virus increases in the population. This is a rational response that is wise. Sitting at home in fear and allowing our emotions to destroy our peace, is not  a correct response.

Much of our emotional responses to moments of crisis have to do with what we look at and listen to. If we constantly spend time watching the news and reading articles about the spread of the virus, our minds will be overpowered with fear. If we spend our time thinking about the goodness of the Lord, meditating upon His word and His promises, our minds will be free of fear and we won’t take foolish or panicked actions.

When the plague of death came upon Egypt in Exodus 12, the people of God stayed home and remembered the goodness and love of God. They waited until the danger passed and they maintained their faith throughout the time of trial. When the plague was over, they returned to their lives and experienced the power of faith over fear.

The Lord is with us in this present trial and He will be with us until the end of our life. Whether we live or die, we should continue to trust Jesus with our circumstances and not be swept away by what we imagine could happen. The Lord is able to protect us from every plague and danger, and He is able to take us home to heaven at any time. We should be prepared for both and live our lives without fear of either outcome.

Twice in my life, once at 7 and again at 57, doctors gave little hope of my survival. On both occasions, from a human point of view, I should have died. In spite of impossible circumstances, the Lord determined that I would live. Hundreds of times in the last 44 years I have been up against impossible circumstances that looked hopeless. On every occasion the Lord rescued me and caused all the events of those crisis to turn out for my good.

Fear is imaginary and it seldom comes true. Faith is real and it sustains us during moments of fear, doubts, and despair. It is our faith that God is good all of the time, He loves us, and He has a good plan for our life, that will carry us and this world through this moment of fear and difficulty.

• What The Bible Says About The Coronavirus (COVID-19) And The Events Of The Last Days
• Trusting In The Lord, No Easy Task
• Our Trials, Suffering, and Pain, and How Jesus Overcame His Own
• The Suffering Jesus Endured, Tells Us A Great Deal About God’s View Of Our Suffering

Categories: Being Thankful, Believers Removed before Tribulation, Covid-19, Encouragement For The Day, Forgiveness of Sin, Living For Jesus, Overcoming trials, Prayer, Predestination, Robert Clifton Robinson, Salvation through Jesus, The Tribulation Period, What is required for Heaven?

Tags: Covid-19, Overcoming fear and Anxiety, Trusting the Lord during trials