1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Governors and mayors across America are looking at the data, the science, and the “curve” of the pandemic in their regions. Then they turn the other direction and see the people—men and women working the front lines of medicine, caring for the elderly and sick, police, firefighters, truckers, grocery store and pharmacy workers, and the other group of those who have lost jobs outright or been furloughed. And they desperately want to balance the public health of their people with the economic health of their region. It sounds like “mission impossible,” doesn’t it?
Meanwhile, unless you are among the essential employees, you sit and you wait. You feel good. No one in your family is sick. Praise God! But rooms keep feeling smaller as walls close in, and you are tempted to just give up on self-quarantining and get back to your social activities again, to open up the business you are part of, to head to a beach. The temptations are great. God knows it!
Don’t allow yourself to get sucked into actions that can harm you. Choose to do what’s right, even when you don’t like it. Seek God in everything and pray for Him to help you. He will. If you need to, seek spiritual guidance from those you trust, or emotional support from professionals. Now is the time to adhere to the admonition of 1 Peter 2:13, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,” and that means your governor or the others in authority over you. Then be sure to pray for them—their burden is a heavy one.
Pray With Us
Dear Lord, You know what I need when I need it. You are so good. Thank you for reminding me that You understand the temptations that I feel to just get out there and start living again. Yet for my health and that of those around me, I say I understand the need for this time of isolation, even if I truly don’t. I want to be obedient to Your Word, and, with humility, be subject to those who are the ones who will say when the new normal will begin. They do carry a heavy, burden, Lord. From the president and the task forces he has put together, to my governor and mayor and those in my communities who watch over me, I ask that You give them guidance and direction. Help them to understand Your timing. Thank You for loving us all, in Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
