Fear has overtaken us. And it’s legitimate. The threat of corona virus is real. The virus has interrupted our lives. Of course, we’re afraid.

Life has changed. For how long? No one knows. For this period, we will avoid large gatherings and self-isolate as much as possible.

Who would’ve thought our world would come to a near standstill? Airline flights cancelled. Sports stadiums vacated. Broadway silenced. Stock market plummeted. Schools dismissed. Grocery shelves emptied. People panicked.

We just don’t know what’s coming tomorrow. But did we ever? Certainly not. But we expected normal. The sun would rise and we’d live our day, going to work or school or wherever. We’d attend church, dine at fancy restaurants, fly to distant cities. Normal stuff. Not now.

Normal has been put on hold. We’re making adjustments…new plans. We’re being cautious like never before. This thing has disrupted life. This wicked thing sneers in our face, bullies and terrorizes us, boasting of its power to bring death.

Normal has been put on hold. We’re making adjustments…new plans. We’re being cautious like never before. This thing has disrupted life. This wicked thing sneers in our face, bullies and terrorizes us, boasting of its power to bring… Click To Tweet

We must take it seriously. It’s too risky not to.

The chaos reminds me of book one in the bestselling Left Behind series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. The long-awaited Rapture occurs, turning the world upside-down. What happens is a portrayal of Matthew 24.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (verses 40-41). In the book, planes crash after pilots disappear from the cockpits. Cars pile up as drivers exit this world. Husbands come home to empty houses after wives and children are caught up in the air.

It’s a scary scene. I don’t expect to be here for the aftermath. The teaching I accept is that believers will be taken up to be with the Lord and miss the chaos of the Great Tribulation. I’m not a biblical scholar qualified to discuss all the details, but I can tell you this. I’ve made preparation. Long ago I settled my eternity by claiming Romans 10:13. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Because of that decision, I don’t live in fear.

I do wonder…could our present circumstance be a dress rehearsal? I don’t know. I only know nothing like this has happened before in my lifetime spanning several decades.

Webster defines fear as “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.”

We’re wise to be aware of danger, but no one needs to be choked by fear and paralyzed by panic…unless you haven’t settled your eternity.

We’re wise to be aware of danger, but no one needs to be choked by fear and paralyzed by panic…unless you haven’t settled your eternity. Click To Tweet

If you need help with that, contact me via email (see contact page) or private message me on FaceBook. Meanwhile, combat fear with God’s Word.

“What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3).

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Psalm 34:7).

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A tthousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:1-12).

Leave a comment about how you’re coping in these uncertain days. And please share this article with your friends.

© Dianne Barker 2020