Are We Listening? Are We Ready?

The past few days have been a whirlwind. We have been bombarded with news about the deadly Coronavirus. Schools have closed and made preparations to take instruction online. There is a shortage of toilet paper, disinfecting wipes, and bottled water. People are wearing masks and gloves. It reminds me of some of the scary movies I’ve seen where a mysterious virus has plagued the earth and wiped out its inhabitants. There is a state of urgency and hysteria. People are in a frenzy to prepare. I can remember the same thing happening when the year 2000 came. People were preparing like it was the end of the world. As I was praying for God’s peace, grace, and protection, the Lord dropped something in my spirit. He asked, “What if people prepared for my coming like they are preparing for the Coronavirus?” Today, I want us to ponder this question for a few minutes.

What if we stockpiled the word of God in our hearts? What if we went through a spiritual quarantine and shut-in to hear from the Lord? What if we protected our hearts and our lives from the virus of sin? If we did all of these things, we would not have to get ready for His coming, we would be prepared.

Let’s go back to the first question. What if we stockpiled the word of God in our hearts like we are stocking up of staples and necessities? In Psalms 119:11, David says, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin against thee.” If we went about days trying to get as much of God’s word embedded deeply into our hearts as we are gathering things now, we would have a strong foundation. We would be so anchored in His truth that we would not be moved by everything that comes our way. I can only imagine the extent of the preparations people are making.

Matthew 6:19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

If we are focused on storing up temporal things, we are heading in the wrong direction. Instead, we should be storing up the things that are eternal like our love, grace, compassion, joy, and focused on the things of God. We should also be examining our hearts because what we “treasure” is an indication of the state of our hearts and our souls. There is no amount of anything on this earth that we can hoard that supersedes the eternal. There isn’t any amount of physical preparation that could prepare us for eternity.

What if we went through a spiritual quarantine? What if we protected our hearts and our lives from the spread of the virus of sin? If we used this time of isolation to tune in the voice of the Lord, we would receive the wisdom and direction we so desperately need. If we set ourselves aside and consecrated ourselves, we could prevent the spread of sin in our lives by going before the Lord in repentance and allow Him to renew our minds as well as our hearts.

I don’t know about you but I often wish I could press the pause button on my life so I could reassess and refocus. Lately, I have been very busy with work and my daily responsibilities. I needed some time to slow my life down, hear from the Lord, and reset. Although the circumstances may not be ideal, we should be grateful that we serve a God who wants to speak to His children and redirect them. I believe that is what the Lord is saying to us. We need to repent and realign our lives with His plan as individuals and as a nation.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

I don’t see this scripture as a rebuke. I see it as an opportunity to shift our lives. I see it as an extension of His love and grace towards us. He wants to forgive and heal us. He wants us to have life more abundantly. He doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us to live in the peace that comes with a life rooted and grounded in who He is. 

Our Father is speaking. Are we listening? Are we ready?

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