When we are in fear, our tendency is to ask God to help us and save us. But, in the Bible text of I Kings 19:1-9, we see that the opposite happened. Elijah was in fear and this left him desperate to the point where he asked God to end it all, to just take his life. His fear was not imaginary. It was very real: he could not tolerate the pressure which he was subject to; Queen Jezebel wanted to kill him and she had the means to get the job done.
This dreadful and frightful feeling is normal; who under these circumstances would have no fear of dying?
When we are insecure and desperate in dreadful and frightening circumstances, we do not know how to ask. God hears our prayers, but He answers them in His own manner. Elijah asked God to die but God gave him rest in order to cheer him up. Elijah was not alone; the Lord was with him and on two occasions had ordered an angel to feed him because he was upset and weak, so much so that he needed to sleep again.
We do not have to be heroes (Elijah was also not a hero – he gave up on everything), but, whether the cause for the fear be real, as in Elijah’s case, or imaginary, as it can happen many times, it is important for us to take our worries to God and ask Him to take care of them. The Lord himself will give the strength and courage we need when we give ourselves into His hands. Do not lose hope in the Lord, trust in Him “…those who hope in the Lord, will renew their strength…” (Isaiah 40:31).
For as long as we have breath in our lungs, there is hope. And even if we pass from this earth into eternity, life will go on, but at a level much more intense and real than we can perceive and experience with our mortal body. With an understanding of what Hell is, according to the Bible, no one would want to go there. So, let’s live life in this world as God directs us through the Bible so that we can be with our Lord and Savior when our number of days on this earth comes to an end: “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to You; at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You” (Psalm 39:4-7).
Corona Fear? What to do? As we soak in what has been happening around the world in regards to the Coronavirus pandemic, how things are playing out, and brace ourselves for what can still happen in the coming weeks or months, we are to stay positive amidst difficult situations. If others are facing quarantine or being prohibited from traveling overseas, be mindful that it may happen to you. So, do your part, prepare yourself and your family physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Stock up on non-perishable food, water, pain killer, and any RX medications for your basic survival for the next few months if drastic measures need to be taken. As we are informed that the Corona Virus can infect up to 150 million people worldwide and that there is no vaccine in place against this virus, let’s not take this information lightly.
Even though times are difficult, the Bible tells us that events such as these would come and it is necessary for it to happen. God is love, but He is also a just God (more on this at a later post). We need to be praying to God to have mercy and spare this generation from worse things to come. Let’s also not forget to ask God to allow researchers to discover the correct vaccine against this virus very soon and give wisdom to the country leaders to guide their citizens in an appropriate way.
As the Bible makes it clear for us in Job 14:5, a person’s days are numbered. God knows your number of months. A person cannot live longer than the time God has set for him or her. We want to start eternity in the right way, so, let’s be humble before God, ask Him to keep us safe in times of trouble but also seek to do His will, no matter how difficult it may seem. At the end of the day, when we close our eyes on this earth, we will open them in eternity, and that [eternity] is a place we will not be able to leave. So, let’s make sure we strive to go to the side we won’t want to run from.
When you’re at “the end of the line,” remember: God’s line is eternal.
