COVID-19 Novel Encouragement Sample

True Rest

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

God always surprises me with the ways He does things. He brings salvation through death, peace through wars, healing through diseases, peace through suffering, and blessings through brokenness. I’ve seen these patterns in the Bible as well as in my own life.

How is God changing you through the Coronavirus situation in the last month? For me, it’s been a time of healing and resting. God showed me a lie in my life: I didn’t believe that He loves me unconditionally. I thought He only loved me if I met His high standards. It stole my joy and put a heavy burden on me.

In the past, I’d always been very obedient to God. I told others to do the right thing all the time. Because God asks us to forgive, I forgave those who hurt me deeply and I prayed for them. But when I came to God honestly this time, I found that my heart was full of hurt and anger. I asked: “God, how could you love those who hurt me?”

I found out that all my obedience was really just the result of ignoring and suppressing my feelings. I wasn’t doing it from my heart, because I can’t do obey in my own strength. Now I sit at the feet of God, learning how to be a genuine person. I’ve thrown off all of the things I “must do,” so I can discover who I really am and learn how to let God love me in all my mess.

In the past, I tried to do most things in my own strength – of course, it was stressful.  Now I understand that I should do what I can based on where I am at that moment in life. I find meaning in the things I do only when I am filled with God's love, wisdom, and power.

I believe this is what God wants us to do: to honestly face our own weakness; to put our imperfect selves before Him without fear; to admit that we are powerless; to stop all our struggling. Instead, we are to seek Him through prayer, to let Him love us, to let Him change our lives and fill us with joy. That is true rest!

All of these discoveries came from the last two weeks when I asked these questions before God:

1. What I dislike the most about my current situation?

2. What is God breaking in my life?

3. Is there anything I need to confess or surrender to Him?

I invite you to prayerfully ask those questions before God. May He open your eyes, deliver you, and give you deeper freedom! May He bless you, hide you under His wings, and help you find peace and rest in Him in a world full of anxiety.

By Liang Heng, Beijing