I know everyone is tired of reading about the corona virus, and about people’s opinions on the corona virus, and about opinions on those opinions lol . But I think it’s important to note-
This virus is not God’s karma on the world.
If this is obvious to you, I’m so glad! But I've heard a few things that seem to communicate that God is sending this virus. It’s just not true and I believe it’s so important to say strongly— This virus is not God’s doing or His idea of getting what He wants. This isn’t his punishment for sins or his way of bringing purification for the nation. The punishment of our sins was already completely paid for on the cross.
I don’t believe this virus is a ‘gift’ of any kind because people are dying. God does not partner with sickness or death. Being thankful for a virus- that is completely in the realm of all of the things Jesus came to defeat- does not make sense to me. Corona is sickness and death.
If someone gets cancer, we don’t say the cancer was from God. We don’t say that the cancer was God’s punishment. And yet- with this virus- I’ve heard people say this-- about something that is making breathing impossible for others.
We may like the idea of explaining situations. We may be tempted to say that this is God’s doing and it is helping bring revival. Explaining things gives us comfort and peace, but in explaining it this way- we are claiming that God is doing this. It isn't true.
The same group of people that believes sickness and death are never of God- that God only brings healing-, are now tempted to attribute death and sickness to God (because the explanation makes us feel safer). Aren’t we the group that believes in healing now? That believes it is always God’s will to heal? And now we are tempted to say this virus is from him? It’s nonsense. Would we say the same thing if someone we knew was dying from it? Just because it’s not happening to us doesn’t mean the virus isn’t associated with death, sickness, and destruction. God isn’t plaguing us like in the Old Testament. The wages of sin was death- and that death already happened 2000 years ago in Jesus. We are not in the business of reconciling ourselves to God and of being punished until we repent. We are already reconciled to Him through Jesus.
But- just as when someone gets cancer and it’s not from God- that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t use it for good. He uses everything for good. And we can see this. There are obviously bad things from this virus, but even in the hurt, He brings good. He restores families. He works in small groups. He is in all of the love between people and all of the healing we see. Don't get me wrong- God is bringing purification, but He didn't send the virus to purify us. He is purifying us always- and He uses even this bad to work for our good - to bring us closer to Him and to rid us of our greed and pride and other bad things. He didn't send Corona, but He will send every sort of blessing possible during this time (including correction and purification) because He uses the bad to bring us good. JUST BECAUSE HE USES BAD FOR OUR GOOD DOESN'T MEAN HE CAUSED THE BAD.
This is a time where we are ambushed with the huge mysteries of life. The questions of “why do bad things happen?” and “why doesn’t God just stop this if he didn’t cause it?” are in our faces. These mysteries are ones that have prevailed through time. But do questions mean that we don’t believe in God? Do I stop believing in love or the universe or goodness just because I have questions about them? Even more- unlike anything on this Earth, God’s ways are so much more outside of our understanding. So hold tight to the ways you’ve felt His goodness and His love and light. Your heart knows His goodness even when the questions seem big.
But in the meantime, let’s not answer the big questions incorrectly just because we want to answer the big questions. God doesn’t need corona or need to partner with sickness to bring people to Him (or to bring the billion soul harvest), but I know He will use it. He will use it in every single way because He is so good to use even the worst of things to show His love. Let’s pray against THIS sickness as we pray against ALL sicknesses- not embracing it as God’s plan- but knowing that God freed us from sin, sickness, and death on the cross.
