I had the most bizarre experience this past week. Now granted, its been bizarre even without my experience. The world is in the middle of a pandemic that has absolutely everyone on edge. It’s called COVID-19, or the Corona virus and it’s like the flu on steroids. People are panicking, schools and churches are closing and even my beloved Disneyland will be closed for the remainder of the month.
There are stories on social media about empty shelves at most every store where the toilet paper and water cases used to be. Apparently, even a few fights have broken out at Costcos around the nation over these items! I still can’t for the life of me figure out why toilet paper and water are the hoard of choice right now.
I figured I was ok because we have plenty of toilet paper and reverse osmosis for our water here at home. So armed with my weekly grocery list, I headed out to my local market for my regular Friday shopping. I literally felt like I was in the middle of an old Twilight Zone episode!! Empty shelves for almost everything – any and all paper products, canned soup, pasta and sauce, bread and frozen vegetables. FROZEN VEGETABLES, PEOPLE!
And then there were the lines to pay for the few items I could find. Every checkout was manned by diligent checkers wearing gloves and scanning purchases as quickly as possible. The lines trailed down every row of the store, and this wasn’t a small store. I waited for nearly 30 minutes before it was my turn and I could get out and to my car where I sat for a moment or two, catching my breath and sanitizing my hands. It was nuts!
As I sat there, calming down from the chaos, I started praying. I prayed for our country and those who were truly sick. I prayed for the elderly, like my mother-in-law, who live in senior centers that they would be protected and would have the food and medicines they would need. I prayed for first responders across the globe and thanked the Lord for such brave men and women who don’t think twice about putting themselves in harm’s way to ensure safety for the rest of us.
I think the driving force behind all the crazy and hoarding can be labeled with one word: FEAR; fear of the unknown, fear of the “what-ifs”, fear of sickness, fear of death, fear of change. Fear causes us to become extremely self centered, because it’s usually based on self preservation. I pulled out my 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary and found this perfect description of the word:
FEAR: an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us. Fear is the passion of our nature which excites us to provide for our security, on the approach of evil.
We can’t live our lives in fear. Fear sucks the joy out of everything and that is not how God intended His creation to live. He wants us to experience peace, His peace. The kind of peace that makes no sense to the world but resonates utterly and completely with those of us who call Jesus our Lord!
I got to thinking about these two polar opposite feelings and decided to go straight to the source to find the exact words God gave us regarding His thoughts on fear vs peace. That’s what I want to share with you today, and every day. When you feel the world’s fear sucking you in, go to the Source and see if these words don’t give you the same peace they give me. Remember Who is in charge. It’s not our politicians, or drug companies or medical specialists; they are simply tools God uses to do His thing. God is in control. Thank you, Jesus!
The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalms 27:1
He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. – Psalms 91:4-6
But whoever listens to Me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm. – Proverbs 1:33
Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy. – Isaiah 8:12-13a
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7
So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body. – Ecclesiastes 11:10a
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
