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COVID-19 Novel Encouragement Sample

COVID-19 Novel Encouragement

DAY 13 OF 60

NOT ALONE

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. Psalm 91:1-3 

As of February 6th, the latest government statistics of suspected illnesses, confirmed illnesses, and deaths were conservatively: 28,120 / 24,702 / 564, respectively. The figures are still climbing. This situation is far worse than SARS in 2003. We now have official notices to stay home, follow safety measures, and stop all gatherings until March or further notice. Cities have stated there are to be no gatherings, no festive activities, no functions, no conferences, no banquets, no touring. Sightseeing spots are closed.  

In addition to health threats, we also face tremendous economic difficulties. Restaurants can only serve a few patrons at a time; there can be no large gatherings. In this season of the Chinese Spring Festival, many restaurants have pre-ordered tons of food in preparation for the holiday banquets and festive dinners. Now they have only a few patrons and need to sell their over-stocked food in parking lots to try to recover some loss. Businesses across most sectors have few customers, factories are closed, and supply chains are near nil. With the virus incubation period of 14 days, many panic when people sneeze or have discomforts. Suspicions abound. How about you? How does your heart feel today?

The Word of God has wise counsel for us in Psalm 91:1-3.  Please scroll up and read it again.

Just as a young child runs to her tender-loving mom or dad for cover when danger looms, we are urged by King David to take shelter in the bosom of the ”El Elyon,” the Most High God, and hold fast to Him with love in the shadow of “El Shaddai”, the Almighty God. (Psalm 91:14)

The “dwelling” mentioned in verse 1 is a proactive pursuit of the mind with a determined will to be intimate with the Lord: thinking and resting on His promises, and abiding in His Presence when perils persist or when we suffer.

Our Father knows our circumstances full well, and our Lord Jesus is interceding for us who depend on Him (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25). With faith in our hearts, we meditate on His names: our Refuge, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Shield, and our Stronghold (Psalm 18:2). If we can dwell on His divine nature and meditate on His word day and night, then we will be blessed (Psalm 1). Regardless of how heavy our loads, or how bad the news, our minds must return to our Almighty Jesus. Our focus is on Him. King Solomon tells us the secret of his spiritual life: “Keep your heart with ALL vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Let’s have the mind of Christ.

We cannot control the deadly pestilence, but He can protect us, heal us and deliver us. We must proactively abide in Him and hold fast to His promises, as we follow medical advice and take safety measures. We also need to obey the laws and regulations of the local government.

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. Psalm 91:5-6

Prayer:  

“Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for your eternal love for us and thank you for constantly praying for each one of us. We thank you for your promises, that as we proactively dwell and abide in You, to know and love Your Name, and to trust in You, You will be with us, protect us and deliver us.  (Psalm 91:14-15) And, not only do we trust what you will do for us, Lord, we also give you glory for what You Are. Because You are eternally FOR us and You design our lives according to Your perfect plan. We give you praise and honor! And we pray this in Your Holy Name, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!”

In His Keeping,

Perry Ching

Sanya, Hainan, China

Scripture

Day 12Day 14

About this Plan

COVID-19 Novel Encouragement

Novel Encouragement is a 60-day devotional that church leaders from across Beijing and China were led to write during the COVID-19 outbreak, sending it out day by day to the people of the church and beyond. We hope you will also benefit deeply from it as it points you to the Lord as you are experiencing the trials – and opportunities – of the COVID-19 crisis whenever you are.

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We would like to thank Beijing International Christian Fellowship for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: http://www.bicf.org/