Jeremiah 51:46 “And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.”
As in Jeremiah’s prophecy, rumors often engender “fear”, and “fear” often leads to irrational behaviors. Fear usually produces either the great urge to flee away from the source of “fear” or to vigorously fight back at the source of our “fear”; sometimes the “fear” can be so severe that people become hysterical or freeze up, their minds just lock up and they cannot make rational decisions. Often, as in Jeremiah’s prophecy, the rumors prove to be true. In his prophecy, the people would begin to hear rumors of a great war that would sweep across the land and those rumors would cause great “fear” among the people. Jeremiah went on to encourage the people, telling them that God would be with them as the war raged and He would take them safely through it. In our case, the greatest enemy we have is the “fear” of this virus that is sweeping across our Country. Hear the words of our Lord, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31). To “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10) is to call upon our God-given “faith” (Hebrews 11:1; 12:2) and so turn our minds from the source of our “fear” and to focus upon our Lord and His Almighty Power and His Great Love for His people. It is very calming to get down on our knees and to begin our prayer with such words as, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9) and then to lay our concerns and the object of our “fear” before Him. While in prayer, our Heavenly Father sends His calming Spirit to us and we then can rise with assurance and a blessed sense of peace and wellbeing. So, let us earnestly pray that our Lord will calm our fears and send a sense of peace across our Country. As we pray, let us also pray for our leaders, and especially pray for our Doctors and Nurses and medical staff who willingly expose themselves to this virus to protect us and to help others who are sickened. And, let us pray for healing for those who are sick. And above all, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (I Corinthians 16:13)!