Corona Virus – Sonshine's Journal

May 19, 2020

TheTruth of the Matter

Job is in isolation just as we are in quarantine. We can relate to his isolation because of coronavirus isolation. Are you frustrated? Do you want to see an end to this pandemic? Imagine yourself as Job sitting in dust and ashes. What is your view of God? But Job rises to the occasion and tells his “so-called friends,” I know God, do you?

Job 21 to 24 The Truth of the Matter

Are you confounded by the responses of those who are asked; do you believe the Bible? Some answers come back like the Ethiopian’s question; how can I unless someone guides me? [Acts 8] Or, the Bible is too hard for me to understand; Or, I am too busy to read the Bible and on and on and on go the answers to our question. Yet, Job centuries before even a word was written, he could say: “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my allotted portion; he is unchangeable; whatever he desired, he does.” [Jpb 23]

Did you catch that? Job had no Bible, no missionary came to tell him about God, yet he treasured the words of God. How did he know? Romans 1:20 answers that question: “For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.”

God has been silent with Job not because he didn’t want to interact with him but to prove to our arch-enemy the truth of what he knew about Job: There is no one like him. He is blameless and upright and fears Me. [Job 1] God knew that Satan was frustrated because Job did not curse him, yet He remained silent because just as Job knew God’s character, God knew Job’s character: if tested, he would come forth as gold. [Job 23]

What does God say about you?

God knows who you are and how you will respond. Trust Him.

April 28, 2020

“The Battle is God’s, Not Ours.”

1 Chron 20 What do you do when you hear bad news? What did the author of this passage want to teach us? First, even kings and leaders who are in authority face fear. We can relate to this story because today, the virus has opened Pandora’s Box of fearful tendencies. Will I have a job? Where will I get the funds to pay for simple things like water, gas, and yes, groceries? The author also wants us to learn that fear either drives men to God or away from God—which means once again—men have choices.

In this story, the king hears disturbing news about enemies on his borders. He can gather his army, or he can seek advice and help from God. The tension in this story is the same many are facing today. We read that God steps in and anoints someone to come alongside to speak words of comfort and wisdom to the king. You may be fearful because of the news about the virus. Many are asking, should I shelter in place, but if the economy reopens, should I step out or stay isolated? These are real-life questions with many unknown answers. And like Jehoshaphat, you may not know what to do.

It is then that a voice of wisdom steps out of the crowd to tell us that ‘the battle is God’s, not ours.’ God is asking us: will we trust Him even if we can’t see the future?

April 23, 2020

Parenting101

Proverbs 23 This past month all over the world, parents are learning how to homeschool because of the lockdown due to the Coronavirus. Some find it a joy and others, well enough said. A suggestion: read a chapter from the book of Proverbs following the calendar. If you are reading a chapter of Proverbs each day, you will find many promises. Here is one found right smack in the middle of Proverbs 23! It is just for you parents who are now working with your little ones:

“The father of a righteous person will rejoice greatly; whoever fathers a wise child will have joy in him. May your father and your mother have joy; may she who bore you rejoice.“

Did you notice the repetition of the words “rejoice and joy?” Parents take heart. God sees your work, and He will reward you.

Parents, if you are feeling overwhelmed with this task, go back and read Samson’s father’s prayer. He felt just like you. Jdg 13:8 Manoah prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, allow the man sent from God to visit us again, so he can teach us how we should raise the child who will be born.” Claim that prayer and go to God for your stamina, wisdom, and discernment.

April 20, 2020

Preparing for your departure

1 Chron 24-26 Today we received yet another note from one of the international staff that they had been tested and it was positive. Will this person weather the corona storm? But, add to that the many that are already near their finish line. One friend’s father is 104 and another is 101. Will they continue on or will they move to their eternal destiny. Only time will tell. Both are in excellent health. On the other hand, King David knew his time was drawing near and so he set about to plan for the future and the next king. Do we do the same? Do we plan ahead so our children and extended family are prepared? Do we have all or bank accounts set up with our children or someone else as a beneficiary? Have we made out our will so that our testimony is clear to those who are not saved?

Read carefully David’s planning structure. “David, Zadok (a descendant of Eleazar), and Ahimelech (a descendant of Ithamar) divided them into groups to carry out their assigned responsibilities,” David also prepared some for music and words to encourage and edify. Paul captured this idea as he wrote to the Ephesians: “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord,” [Eph 5:19] Along with that, David outlined the duties of those who would care for the new temple.

These are timely examples to us.

April 18, 2020

How do you face the death of a dream?

1 Chron 17 Being quarantined to protect ourselves from the coronavirus has been a challenge for many. Some of us have had our dreams put on hold or even terminated. This might be a good time to ask God what He is doing. Does He have a different plan for your life?

King David had a vision or a dream. It came from a pure and humble heart. There was nothing wrong with David’s dream, and there may be nothing wrong with yours. But God wants us to dream with Him. Sometimes we share our dream with those closest to us, just as David shared his with the prophet Nathan. Nathan was excited and encouraged David to commence—but then God came to Nathan with a message for David. God was not only delaying the dream, but he also was not going to fulfill it. Hearing Nathan brought David to a point where he had to make some choices about how he should respond to the “death of his dream.” He went in and sat before the Lord humbly. How we respond shows whether our dream was ours or His. Note this lesson; God didn’t take away David’s dream. Instead, God was saying; your dream is too small. I have bigger plans for you that you can’t even imagine just as the prophet Jeremiah told the Israelites. In a nutshell, God said: I have plans to prosper you and to give you a future filled hope. {Jer 29:11 author’s thoughts}

Don’t stop listening when God says no. He usually has something far greater or bigger than you can imagine.

April 3, 2020

Jehovah Jireh Our Provider

1Kings 17-19 Today people are beginning to grumble because their comfort zone has been disrupted. They have lost their trust in government officials, others, and even the God of the Bible. They just want the problem fixed which is precisely what the wicked King Ahab wanted too. Yet God is God, and He will not share his glory with another. To teach the evil king and queen, God will use his faithful prophet Elijah to remind us that nothing is too hard for God. He is Jehovah Jireh, our provider.

First, Elijah needs a place of refuge from the wicked king and queen. When the brook dries up, and the food is no more, God sends him to a widow outside the land. Here God tests Elijah with the death of the child. Will he trust God to raise a little boy from the dead? Will the widow learn that Elijah is God’s prophet? In the meantime, God provides a simple man named Obadiah to show weary Elijah the truth that no problem is too hard for God. Obadiah protected and provided a place of refuge for God’s prophets. Step by step, God provided for every need. And when Elijah was weary, He provided a replacement in Elisha to accompany him.

If He could use the unclean ravens or an unnamed widow or an Obadiah, will He not provide for our every need? Yet if God provided for Elijah, will He not do the same for us? Do you trust Him to take care of your essentials this day? “in God I trust, I am not afraid. What can mere men do to me?” [Ps 56]

March 27, 2020

“Shelter in Place”

2Samuel 22

We are told to shelter in place as this Corona Virus slithers into our communities. We often think of the word “shelter” as a structure where we can be safe from intruders or marauders but listen to David “My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter.” [vs3] If we look closely we see that David wasn’t talking about a permanent structure but God Himself. He was talking about confiding his hope in God.

David notes there is a greater shelter that is not tangible but is spiritual. In the OT, the Israelites were given a shelter of fire by night and a cloud by day to protect them. It provided shade from the desert heat and protection from the desert freezing temperatures at night. However, we are not in the desert and yet we still need that shelter’s presence. We find it in the scriptures, in prayer, and in community, therefore constantly pray.

The Lord is our shelter: Psa 91:1 As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, and resides in the protective shadow of the Sovereign One –

God’s chosen leaders: Isa 32:2 Each of them will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from a rainstorm; like streams of water in a dry region and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land, therefore pray for them.

The world would have us fearful, but God is our shelter in times like this. Where do you go to shelter?