COVID-19 Novel Encouragement Sample

Heavenly Peace

Peace I leave you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  John 14:27

When the coronavirus first burst onto the scene during this year’s Spring Festival, the greetings people shared with one another changed from the usual “May everything goes as you hope it will, good luck and great prosperity,  may you have great riches in the new year,” to just one: “Peace be with you.” The word “peace,” which was on everyone’s lips, appears in the Bible 346 times. As the epidemic stretched on, and we became closer to illness and death than we had ever been before, peace seemed especially precious. I began to wonder what the peace given to us by God really was.

It seemed we were all used to having lives that looked peaceful. However, in this unique and special time, with the virus spreading all over the world, it now seemed there were many situations causing people to feel a lack of peace: terror in the face of disease and death; the pain of lost loved ones; the torture of illness; distance and isolation; a sense of defeat and inability to control the present or the future; financial hurt; loss of jobs; a shortage of goods; lives emptied of their daily rhythms; prejudice between people; hatred and coldness. As a mother, when I saw there were mothers and newborns contracting the virus, I was very sad. Where was our peace?

In this season of anxious waiting, of struggle and hardship, we must cling even closer to God because our peace and hope will only come from God and Jesus Christ.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

God gives us peace because His love, His grace, and His promises tell us who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going. We are in his great plan. Jesus is our strength. He is our refuge in times of trouble. God’s love is the same through the ages and will never change.

The people of this world often believe that we have peace when things go smoothly and there is balance in the world. But that is just nominal, momentary peace; it is not stable. The peace of the Holy Spirit is eternal, essential, complete. It is only when we have the peace of God that we can call one other to be full of faith and hope in any situation. When we are full of the peace of Christ, we do not need to fear anything present or future. Jesus told us that if we will just accept it, God will give this heavenly peace to us.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Knowing God allows us to firmly believe that even in the midst of this long, anxiety-inducing epidemic, even though our work and our lives have come to a stop, God has not stopped working. No matter whether you are sick, alone, or waiting, no matter whether you have a family or are single, no matter how weak or how troubled you feel, as long as you cry out to God with a heart of faith and allow His love to come to fight your fear, confusion, pain, and anxiety, God will guard you.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

True peace does not come from a peaceful atmosphere, a happy feeling, or pleasant thoughts. It comes from a clear understanding that God controls all things and from steadfastly leaning on Him at all times. This peace is also in every choice we make that is aligned to God’s will: to love God and to love others. When we choose to pray instead of living in guilt or fear, when we choose to extend grace instead of to complain, when we choose to pray for others or the church instead of just ourselves, when we choose to see the needs of those around us instead of just our own, when we choose to be generous instead of demanding, when we choose to care for those who are in danger or homeless instead of ignoring them, when we choose to seek peace instead of judgment or conflict, when we choose self-control instead of self-indulgence, when we choose to open Scripture instead of games or gossip, the peace of God will be with us.

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace. Psalm 29:10-11

Prayer: Heavenly Father, full of grace and love, we cry out to you in the midst of hardship. We are thankful that Your love never leaves us or forsakes us, and there is nothing that can keep You from being with us. During this long epidemic, Jehovah, You are still seated as King. We are sure to find complete peace in Your presence. We ask that You give us great courage and victorious faith – may You strengthen us! We pray for Your peace to draw near to us. We pray You would comfort and heal all those who are infected with the virus, that You would protect the medical staff fighting the virus, and that You would heal and protect every anxious heart. God, there are many in this world who do not know You, but who so desperately need You in their lives. We place them in Your hands and ask the Holy Spirit to move each one, transform their lives, and make each of their hearts full of peace. All glory and praise to the Father! We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

By Ellen Wang, Beijing, IMS