Christ > Corona
Pastor Mike Novotny
If this whole coronavirus seems like a curse, I hear you. Depending on which headline you read, the interruptions, cancellations, and social isolations are far from over, which means so many of the blessings we love might be MIA for months to come. Even after a week of my self-quarantine, I already miss my church, my friends, my family, and my old life (where I didn’t have to tell the Grubhub guy to leave the pizza on the porch…
Do you feel the same way?
But there’s a silver lining to this corona cloud. After all, we worship a God who has promised that this virus is underneath the complete control of Jesus (Ephesians 1:22) and will be/must be used for the good of God’s church (Romans 8:28). That means even this virus must bow its knee and submit to Jesus. Through humanity’s history, this equation has never once been proven wrong:
Christ > ___________.
Joseph (the Old Testament one) couldn’t have known the blessings that would come after his brothers’ betrayal and the endless nights he spent quarantined in an Egyptian prison, but God was greater than his situation (Genesis 45:7,8). Neither could Joseph (the New Testament one) have imagined the kingdom coming to earth when Caesar Augustus issued a terribly timed decree (Bethlehem? Now? When Mary’s pregnant?), but God was greater than the obstacles Joseph was facing (Luke 2:1-20). Peter, John, and Mary Magdalene saw only tragedy when Judas betrayed, Pilate washed his hands, and the Romans reached for the nails, but God was working out the greatest plan of all—your salvation (Acts 4:28)!
So what might God be doing among us today? How could Christ be using every infection, every fear, every detour in our lives for his plans and purposes? How might he be doing this math among us . . .
Christ > Corona.
I can envision at least ten blessings God could be giving us along this coronavirus-infected road. In the days to come, I hope to open your eyes wide enough that you might praise him even here, even now.
See the rest of Pastor Novotny’s Corona related devotionals: https://timeofgrace.org/christ-corona
Devotion used by permission of Time of Grace®. For more information, visit timeofgrace.org