Bad things happening to “good people” is normally seen in life in select people’s lives at different times, but with the Covid 19 pandemic, it seems that a virus is wreaking havoc on the entire world’s population at once. It would be easy to ask, “What in the world is God doing right now?” I know the answer to this and to all of life’s questions is found in His Word, the Bible, in prayer and time spent with Him, and in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This pandemic has not taken God by surprise just as crises in our individual lives do not take God by surprise; so, it is important to remember and understand that while God does not cause bad things to happen, He allows them to happen for our growth and for His glory. James 1:7 says, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above.”
So, the outcome of bad things happening in our lives is for our good and to show God’s glory, but the cause of bad things is simply – SIN. The world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham said, “God never intended for tragedy and prejudice, wars and hatred, lust and greed, jealousy and pride to exist in our world. God meant for Earth to be a paradise: a place where there would be no death.” We all know the age-old story of Adam and Eve committing the first sin when in an act of rebellion, they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve rebelled against God believing they could build their lives without Him. Romans 3:10 reminds us there is no one righteous, not even one. Romans 3:23 tells us that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. After Adam and Eve chose to sin, God still wanted a relationship with them. He banished them from the Garden of Eden which at first glance may seem like punishment, but this was actually God’s infinite mercy. You also see in the Garden of Eden another very special tree, The Tree of Life, and if Adam and Eve had eaten from that tree after having sinned, they would have lived forever in sin and been permanently separated from God. What a merciful act for our loving Heavenly Father to save mankind from the eternal separation from Him we truly deserve!
But God wasn’t done yet! God went a step further to be certain all people would have a way to be in a relationship with HIM! He sent His one and only Son to die on a cross to fully pay the price for all sins past, present and future! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I have also heard the question asked, “How can a loving, good God send people to hell?” The answer is quite simple – God does NOT send anyone to Hell. People choose to send themselves to Hell when they refuse to accept His free gift of salvation offered to everyone. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God has not yet sent Jesus to come back to Earth to take all Christ Followers to Heaven to be with Him eternally. When that happens, the final chapter will have been written and time will run out for people to admit they are sinners, believe that Jesus died for their sins, and commit their lives fully to serving Jesus as Lord of their lives. God is using and allowing times like this pandemic to reach more people because He loves us more than He loved the life of His one and only Son. He truly is a God not just of second chances but of infinite chances.
This pandemic has taken away all distractions. In many ways, we now are doing the very things we should have been doing all along: Spending time with our families, sharing meals, talking to our neighbors, helping one another and taking long walks outside to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. A Google search reported that searches for prayers have skyrocketed worldwide! A recent Gallup poll found that the American public will become more religious as they confront the situation and become more cognizant of their mortality and life's fragile essence. My prayer is not for an increase in “religion” but an increase in people choosing to begin and/or deepen their “relationship” with our Savior, our Messiah, Jesus Christ.
