¹ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ₄ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelation 21: 1 & 4

Yes, the world is currently gripped by a whirlwind of information regarding the Coronavirus (covid-19 disease). Along with that information is also mis-information a.k.a. “fake news” and thus ultimately uncertainty and fear. Nations affected by covid-19 are quarantining their people and taking stringent measures to get a “grip”on this virus. Without a doubt, on everyone’s mind is:

• how long do we have to be in quarantine?
• how bad are things going to get because of covid-19?
• how can one have peace in the midst of this pestilence plaguing the world?
• Is this the “last days“

Unfortunately, there isn’t a firm answer for the 1st two questions, but the last two are actually answerable.

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Peace In The Midst Of The Pestilence

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

The words in the text above, spoken by King David, is an acknowledgement of his faith in God to keep and protect him despite hardship, pestilence or even death, which may have surrounded him. Like David, Christians (and anyone else who is interested) have the option to have a mind of peace during this turmoil if they should so desire. The key:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

God is able to impart peace and other blessings unto you and me as long as we are willing to trust in His power and ability to save and have a repentant (contrite) heart. By placing our faith and trust in God, we place our problems and woes squarely on His shoulders, exactly where it should be. By living a repentant life, we openly distance ourselves from thoughts, words or deeds that do not reflect the Character and goodness of God in our lives.

Now serving God does not eliminate all forms of trouble from our lives as we may at times face hardships alongside the rest of the world and at at times we face hardship because of the world. Yet, Jesus tells us:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world

John 16:33

All trouble is but for a time. As hard as it might be to read (or hear), there is coming a time where there will be a reprieve of all of this pestilence (covid-19 and others), violence and war. There is going to be a solution for starvation and hunger. There shall be a home for anyone that desires it, and all it takes is simply a choice:

• a choice to accept that God is real,
• a choice to accept that His promises are real,
• a choice to deny self and take up your cross and follow Jesus,
• a choice to deny yourself the vain, misleading and temporary pleasures of this world.

There is a “pot of gold” at the end of this rainbow of life and His name is Jesus Christ. He makes us rich with His righteousness that we may be able to enter an eternal life with Him when He returns to this earth. To access this “pot of gold” one must be willing to accept Christ as one’s Saviour and trust me when I say, He is simply waiting to enter your heart at this very moment:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:20

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As it pertains to the second question from the introduction, “is this the last days”, the answer is yes, well, “kinda”.

While it may seem overly simplistic it can be proven from the bible that the last days began the moment we were born.

Interested in reading more? Stay tuned for a continuation of this devotion.

Blessings

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