Isaiah 40:10–17 (ESV):
"Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness
I know this is scary. The word pandemic is scary enough, but we have social media and the news warning us to be scared. How should a Christian respond? Not with fear. We know that is not the biblical response because the most frequent command of the Scripture is “Do not fear.” The reason why we should not be afraid is “For the Lord is with you.”
Not only is God with us, He is King. Last week we started a series called Jesus is King. Just stop really quickly and remind yourself Jesus is King. He is in charge, He is ruling and reigning from the right hand of the Father. He is bringing all things into subjection to Himself. Take a moment and read Isaiah 40:10-17 (above). Behold your God! He has all of the power in the universe and He is using it to rule and reign now. He always is because He does not change. Behold Him, believe Him. The prophet went on to write that this mighty God cares for His people tenderly like a shepherd with a wounded sheep. He carries them close and cares for them. This does not mean we will be immune from sickness or trouble in this life. It means through it all God is with us and for us. He walks alongside of us as we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, so we fear no evil.
I know this is scary but as the passage reads, who are we? Can we give counsel to the Lord? He has measured the waters, marked the heavens, and weighed the mountains. America is like a drop in a bucket to Him. It is small and seemingly insignificant. Yet, He cares for you and others all over the world. He will be with you and He will never forsake you. So, as you try to live wisely in these hectic times - wash your hands, but trust God. Because if Jesus is King, it will all be just fine.
Pastor Armando Yzaguirre Jr.