Author: Steve Nickel

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4

I do not remember anyone in school getting super excited about taking a test. Looking back, I can attest that tests were important because they measured how I was progressing in my understanding a particular subject. The goal was always to pass the test and if possible, “ace” it.

This pandemic we have been experiencing is not necessarily an intellectual test, although scientists have been befuddled in trying to figure it out. It has been, as James labels it, a “testing of your faith.” Let me ask you, “Are you passing this test?”

Crises have a way of revealing our roadblocks in our spiritual maturity journey. They bring to surface those areas in our lives where we are trusting in someone or something else rather than Jesus. In our trials, we discover what we really believe and who we really trust. Our actions, not our words, reveal those realities.

A verse that I have been “chewing on” lately is Romans 8:14. It reads, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” The primary indicator of you being a child of God is your being led by the Holy Spirit in every area of your life. This truth is challenging, convicting, and freeing.

It is challenging because it is living a totally different way than I used to live. I used to live by doing what I wanted to do or by what others were doing or by what the authorities above me told me to do (most of the time). Being Christlike means learning to be led by the Spirit even if it contradicts my previous ways and even it is contrary to the majority.

It is convicting because I realize how far I have to go to develop this discipline. To be led by the Spirit involves having a close relationship with the Holy Spirit so I can discern His voice of guidance and direction. This involves “praying without ceasing”.

It is freeing because where there the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. When you are confident that the Holy Spirit is leading you, you walk in freedom because you know you are in the center of God’s will. Jesus, by His Spirit, lives in you and goes wherever you go. This does not mean there will not be trials. Trials are necessary in the development of Christlikeness.

Let’s specifically apply these truths to the current pandemic. It has been my observation that many believers are struggling to pass this “test of faith” because fear has been granted a foothold. Being stymied by fear is not being led by the Holy Spirit. I say this not to condemn, but to help you break fear into the freedom God has for you.

I want to challenge you to take a step of faith this week; not a leap of faith, but a step of faith. If you are struggling with fear, what is one small step of faith you could take to break the stronghold of fear. If you have not gone to a store, go in for a few minutes wearing a mask. If you have yet to attend your church’s worship service in person, how about arriving a little late and leaving a little early. These are just a couple of suggestions. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you out of fear and into freedom.

Determine what this pandemic crisis is revealing about your level of trust in God. Confess that to Jesus. When the light goes on, the darkness leaves. Then make this commitment of faith, “Today, I am going to be led by the Holy Spirit. I am not going to be led by fear, anxiety, selfishness, or the world’s pattern.” God helping you, you will not only pass this test. You will ace it!

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me,…’” (Jeremiah 9:23-24a)

Do you remember when you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord? (If you haven’t, now would be the right time to do just that!). At that time, you were born again. One of the benefits that comes with that is the ability to understand spiritual things. Paul affirms this. “For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12). He goes on to say, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b).

God, by His Spirit within us, has given us the supernatural ability to know Him! Man’s wisdom, strength, and riches are all temporary – pertaining to this world. Knowing God not only has earthly benefits but also eternal ramifications. In fact, it is the very key to eternal life. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

Knowing God is a tremendous privilege and a continuing responsibility. We realize what a privilege it is from the words that Jesus gives. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44). It is God who draws us to Himself. He opened our understanding so we would perceive and receive the good news of salvation through Jesus. You are in a privileged minority. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Knowing God is a continuing responsibility. Knowing God is having a personal relationship with Him that must continually be cultivated and nurtured. John 15 reminds us of the discipline of remaining in Him. This cultivation means we must keep a humble spirit that is evidenced in the absence of boasting about ourselves. Spiritual pride can creep into my life when I start thinking and believing that “I did this” instead of “God has enabled me to do this.” Keeping a spirit of humility comes from a consistent prayer life. Paul Billmeyer wrote, “Prayerlessness is confidence in oneself.” When I pray I become aware that “I can do all things…THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH!”

In conclusion, I would like to make a boast. It is found in the words of Paul, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).

“’But I have been watching!’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:11b).

God is omniscient. He is all-knowing. He is always watching. This truth can be comforting or sobering, depending on where one stands in their relationship with Him.

For the person who is right with God and in close fellowship with Him, the fact that God is watching is comforting. No matter the circumstances you are facing, it is comforting to know that God sees and knows. David understood that when he prayed, “Keep me as the apple of your eye;…” (Psalm 17:8).

The phrase, “apple of your eye,” comes from a Hebrew expression that literally means “little man of the eye.” It refers to the tiny reflection of yourself that you can see in other people’s pupils. To be the apple of someone’s eye means that you are being watched closely by that person. You are the center of their attention. When David prayed “Keep me as the apple of your eye”, he was asking God to not lose sight of him. David was asking that God would regard him as one would a cherished child, the object of great affection.

As a child of God, it is comforting to know that I am the apple of God’s eye. I AM ALWAYS AT THE CENTER OF HIS ATTENTION. Today, He wants to remind you and me, “I have been watching!”

Knowing that God is always watching should also be a motivation to choose obedience over sin. Stores put up cameras for the purpose of watching both the shoppers and employees. These cameras are to serve as a deterrent to crimes being committed. Even in the presence of “the eye in the sky”, people still attempt to get away with shoplifting, etc.

Judah thought they could commit spiritual adultery as well as other sins and get away with it. However, God says, “‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I HAVE BEEN WATCHING!” (Jeremiah 7:9-11).

Why is it that we forget God is watching? Why do we forget that God lives in us by His Holy Spirit? David wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8). God is not only all-knowing. He is ever-present. Walking the continual awareness of these truths should make a difference in the daily choices we make.

Today, God wants to remind us, “I have been watching!” Receive comfort from the fact that you are at the center of His attention and affection in this very moment. Let this truth also be a motivation to not make bad choices or even good choices, but to make the best choices in your day today!

“’Only acknowledge your guilt—you have rebelled against the Lord your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,’ declares the Lord’” (Jeremiah 3:13).

In chapter 3, Jeremiah is addressing the spiritual adultery of Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom). His description of their actions is very vivid. “Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness” (Jeremiah 3:2).  They had rebelled against the Lord and had not acknowledged their guilt.

Adultery can be described as “that which should be given to your spouse is given to someone or something else.” Applying this to one’s covenant relationship with God this would read, “what belongs to God is given to someone or something else.” Adultery can only be committed in a marriage relationship. Likewise, spiritual adultery can only be committed by those who have entered into a new covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

It is natural for the unregenerate to live according to their sinful nature. It is, however, unnatural for those who have been born again to live according to their old sinful nature. “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6-7).

The marriage covenant between a man and a woman illustrates our relationship with God. Jesus is the groom and the Church is the bride of Christ. God informs us that a believer whose affections and loyalty are divided between Jesus and the world is considered an adulterer. “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Spiritual adultery is very obvious in the words of Jeremiah concerning Israel and Judah. How does spiritual adultery take place today?

SPIRITUAL ADULTERY TAKES PLACE WHEN YOU KNOWINGLY DISOBEY THE WILL OF GOD! It is one thing when a believer falls into sin and then immediately repents. Spiritual adultery occurs when a believer chooses to willfully sin. It is knowingly intentional. When this happens we are at the doorstep of deception as we believe we are still in close fellowship with God when in reality we are not. We see this very thing in Judah’s response. God says, “Have you not just called to me: ‘My Father, my friend from my youth, will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever?’ This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can” (Jeremiah 3:4-5).

Adultery in a marriage is heart-breaking and maybe even, relationship-ending. Spiritual adultery is exponentially greater in its consequences. It is nothing to fool around with. Judah did not acknowledge their guilt. They did not repent. We must learn from their mistakes. Has spiritual adultery crept into your life? Are there areas in your life where you knowingly disobey the will of God? The good news is God is always ready for reconciliation as He indicated to Judah and to us, “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding” (Jeremiah 3:22).

Do not delay! Do it today!

“This is what the Lord says: What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,…?’” (Jeremiah 2:5-6a).

While serving at Racine Assembly of God I remember a day driving by Hansen Funeral Home on Northwestern Avenue. As I glanced at the funeral home parking lot, I saw a U-Haul Truck parked there. The first thought that came to my mind was, “Someone is trying to take their possessions with them!” My second thought brought me back to my senses, but the subject of the thought is not far from the truth as there are many who strive to acquire as much “stuff” as they can.  Their greed drives them to obtain as many material possessions as possible. They place much value on their earthly possessions.

Speaking of their ancestors, God spoke these words to the tribe of Judah through Jeremiah, “They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” Even after the ways that Jehovah had protected them and provided for them, the Israelites turned from the one true God and followed other gods, which are not really gods (Jeremiah 2:11). The result is they became “worthless.”

They were not worthless in the sense of their creation. They were created in the image of God. They were chosen by God to be the people that the Messiah would be sent to the world through. Many, however, became worthless to God’s mission because of their idolatry. From this we discover this truth: WHAT WE WORSHIP DEEPLY AFFECTS OUR LIVES!

Our “god” is what we give supreme worth to.  Lisa Bevere in John Bevere’s book, Kryptonite, identifies your “god” or “idol” as “what you draw your strength from or give your strength to.” I can see this truth evidenced in my life while I was growing up. The Green Bay Packers were an “idol.” When they won, I felt invigorated. When they lost (which happened a lot in the 70’s), I became drained.

Worship is not just the 1 to 1 ½ hours you give to attending “church” online or in person. It is a daily commitment to impacts every area of our lives. When we give our supreme worth to God, we will draw strength from His Word and submit our lives to His Spirit daily. When Jesus is really Lord, our actions will carry with them a great “worth” as it relates to be effectual in God’s mission.

The Israelites turned from God and followed worthless idols because they allowed the “world” around them to influence their lives. Bad company will corrupt good character. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU ALLOW SPEAK INTO YOUR LIFE! I would emphasize this during this time of “safe at home.”

Do not allow television and/or social media become your main source of “seed-planting” into your mind. Remember, media wants to have viewers and followers so they will major in presenting the “stories” that will keep people watching. God will not be mocked! You will reap what you sow (Galatians 6). What you give worth to (time, money, energy) will impact your life!

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’  And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:19-22).

John 20 contains the account of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In the evening of that day, “the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear…” You could say that because of fear they had imposed a “safer at home” order for themselves. Their leader was dead. Their future was uncertain. The felt their very lives were threatened. They had never faced this before. As a result, fear gripped their lives.

Fear is on the rise in many people’s hearts today. Like the disciples, families are together, with their lives locked down for fear of the COVID-19 virus. The future “normal” is uncertain. Health and lives are threatened. We have never faced this before. In states that are becoming “open for business” faster than Wisconsin, some are gripped with fear and struggling to return to some sense of normalcy.

“When…the doors were locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” To emphasize the point Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” a second time. “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” Fear was instantly replaced with an indescribable joy. The bondage is replaced with freedom. What fear can defeat someone who just defeated the greatest fear – the fear of dying and what happens after that?

Then Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” In essence, He is saying, “You will be unlocking these doors. You will be going into the world to be my witnesses to a world that desperately needs My good news of salvation, deliverance, healing, protection, provision, etc!” He goes on the say “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In this He is communicating to His disciples that the Holy Spirit that raised Him from the dead will be coming to be with them and in them! The Holy Spirit is a spirit of freedom and not fear.

Someone said, “Ships are safe in the harbor, but that is not why they were created.” The disciples would open their lives to the fresh wind of the Spirit to take them to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. There were unkowns. There would be danger. There would be rejection. However, there would also be miracles, changed lives, churches established, etc. None would ever have happened if they would have remained in fear.

When you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, He gave you His Holy Spirit. We are reminded to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. The result will be an overflowing of the fruit of the Spirit, including an enabling to walk in faith and freedom, not in fear. Today, some of you need to hear the Spirit say to your spirit, “Peace be with you!” The Great Commission has not changed. It is not put on hold because an unseen enemy. Jesus’ directive to His disciples is still true for us today, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

In Jesus’ name, I speak an unrelenting peace and indescribable joy to replace debilitating fear in believer’s lives. Amen!

“Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place’” (John 18:36).

The context of this passage is Jesus being questioned by Pontius Pilate regarding Jesus being the king of the Jews. Jesus tells Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” If His kingdom was of this world, the principles and practices of the world would have been used to preserve His position and kingdom. Living according the principles of the kingdom of God while living on earth is challenging.

We are living on earth while being citizens of heaven. Paul reminds us, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). Because our citizenship is in Heaven our paradigm is to be different, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).

At times, during the pandemic consequences, it has been challenging for me to set my mind on things above. I have become frustrated with people using this crisis to further their own political purposes. Others are using this vulnerable time to scare and scam people. Restrictions have increased and freedoms have been restricted even though therapeutics have been discovered, hospitals are not overwhelmed, and a better understanding of the virus has been achieved.

Then I remember my citizenship is in Heaven. I am to live according to a different paradigm in the world. Ephesian 6 reminds me of who my real enemy is. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). My enemy is not the politician who has a different worldview than I do. It is not the governor who is putting restrictions on my freedom. It is not even the COVID-19 virus. There is a spiritual battle going on that is manifesting itself in physical ways.

Spiritual battles are to be fought armed with spiritual weapons and dressed in spiritual armor. Paul says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). One of the pieces of armor is the shield of faith for the purposes of extinguishing the flaming arrows of the devil. These arrows are thoughts that area strategically planted in your mind for the purpose of creating fear, worry, doubt, etc.

What arrows has the devil been shooting at you during this time? What thoughts is he trying to place in your mind to discourage you? You can identify them when you connect your negative emotions that you are feeling with the reoccurring thoughts going on in your mind. If you are experiencing worry, what are the thoughts that are cultivating that emotion? If you are becoming fearful, what thoughts are producing that stronghold? These negative emotions come from lies and therefore, reveal the lies you have been believing.

You cannot change what you feel until you change what you dwell on in your mind. You cannot change your thoughts until you change what you believe. Paul said getting dressed for battle starts with putting on the belt of truth. In Philippians 4:7 says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, …—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” This is why meditating on God’s truth is such a powerful and necessary discipline in our lives. Meditation is focused thinking on God’s truth, which is thinking on things above rather than things on earth. Like the old chorus says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” Help me to do this today, Jesus!

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3)

Jesus in indicating in this passage that eternal life is so much more than one’ eternal destination in Heaven. Eternal life does not begin when a believer dies and enters Heaven. Eternal life begins when a person is born again – when he/she puts his/her trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is all about the word “know”.

The word “know” means more than just “having a knowledge about” or “having awareness of.” It includes “knowing by experience.” The Greek word translated “know” is used in Luke 1:34. “Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’” “Know” used in the sense speaks of an intimate experience. God desires for us to know Him – experience Him personally in our lives.

Henry Blackaby, in Experiencing God, gives 7 realities to knowing and experiencing God personally in our daily lives. They are:

• God is always at work around you.
• God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
• God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
• God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
• God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
• You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
• You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.

God wants you to know and experience Him in your daily life. The first thing to knowing Him is spending time listening to Him through His Word and His Spirit. The reason many believers do not experience God working through them is they either do not hear Him or do not experience God working through them is they do not recognize that GOD’S REVELATION TO THEM IS HIS INVITATION FOR THEM TO JOIN HIM IN HIS WORK. I have experienced God in many ways by applying these principles.

Today, look for the activity of Christ in and around you. When you hear His voice or see Him working, be quick to respond to His leading. In doing so, you will know Him more personally through that ministry experience.

“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22).

Do not let your current situation rob you of your joy in the Lord!

In John 16, Jesus was telling His disciples about His death and resurrection. They did not quite grasp all what He was saying. He was informing them they were in a time of grief, but soon afterwards they would soon rejoice. They would grieve because of Jesus’ death and their future uncertainty. However, that grief would turn to joy when they would see the resurrected Christ. It would be a joy that no one would be able to take away.

How joyful are you today? What are the things in your life that can rob you of your joy in the Lord? Satan enjoys using temporal circumstances to rob us of eternal blessings. He wants to steal away your joy in the Lord. He does this by getting us to focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do have. I have often said, “Change brings loss and loss brings pain.” We have all experienced some level of loss during the pandemic and along with that some mental, emotional, and/or relational pain.

Because of circumstantial change, your happiness may have diminished. Happiness is dependent on circumstances. When things are going well, we are happy. When things aren’t going well, our happiness wanes. Our joy in the Lord, however, transcends circumstances. This joy is not just a feeling. It is a “deep-down” knowing that God is using our trying circumstances to accomplish His pruning work in us. James calls it “pure joy” (James 1:2). Paul reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Nehemiah encouraged the Israelites in Jerusalem and us with, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). The “pure joy” we receive from the Holy Spirit transcends our circumstances and gives us strength in the middle of them. There are Christian around the world going through much tougher things than we are and filled with a supernatural joy in the Lord. If you don’t believe me, read The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken.

Jesus told His disciples, “no one will take away your joy.” The joy they would experience would come from personally seeing the resurrected Christ and spiritually receiving the benefits of His resurrection. When you put your trust in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you received them as well – forgiveness of all your sins, a right standing with God, a new nature in order to please God and abundant life, power over sin, the presence of the Holy Spirit in you, assurance of eternal life, a promise that He would never leave you or forsake you, adoption into the family of God, a promise of an eternal inheritance that would never fade, boldness to tell others about Jesus, etc. I could go on and on.

Don’t let Satan use your current circumstances to rob you of your joy in the Lord. Be determined to not allow anyone or anything take away your joy. Instead, let the joy of the Lord be your strength today!

“’Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:28-30).

I believe the Lord has a word for His Church from the biblical account of Peter walking on the water regarding the pandemic we are currently experiencing. (It is longer than usual, but worth the read).

After the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus had His disciples get into a boat and go ahead of Him to the other side. The boat was “buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it” (Matthew 14:24). Then Jesus comes out to them on the lake walking on the water. After hearing Jesus identify himself, Peter speaks up, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus replies, “come.” Peter, recognizing Jesus’ voice and believing His word, “got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”

At the beginning of the Covid-19 “safer at home” we saw believers and seekers coming toward Jesus. Like Peter transcending the law of nature by walking on the water, people were strengthened in their faith. They were trusting in Jesus and His Word. However, isolation is the breeding ground for fear. The result is something illogical is happening all around us. Things are getting better regarding the Covid-19 virus, but it is my observation that people and businesses are getting more paranoid. Why? Peter’s example gives us the answer.

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid…” Peter began to listen and believe other “voices” rather than the voice of Jesus. There was the voice of reason that said, “It is not natural for someone to walk on water.” There was the voice of science that said, “It is not scientifically possible for a human being to walk on water.” There may have been the voices of the other disciples in the boat warning him or trying to discourage him. Whatever “voice” Peter was hearing, his faith became fear when he put his trust in another voice. Proverbs 3:5-6 describes this, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

There are many “voices” on television, radio, social media, etc. giving their “understanding” regarding the Covid-19 virus. These “voices” contain conflicting messages. Scientists and doctors have differing perspectives. These produce an uncertainty of who or what to believe. The result of this uncertainty is anxiety, worry, and fear. I saw this in person yesterday as I was in Wood County where my mother lives. In Wood County, there are NO ACTIVE CASES of Covid-19 (they have only had 2 total), but people were responding as if everyone had it!

I understand how fear could increase in those who are leaning on their own or others’ understanding rather than trusting in the Lord. My concern is for believers to not get caught up in the wave of increasing fear, but instead to be strengthened in their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Peter, we must put our trust in the presence and truth of Jesus rather than our own or others’ understanding when it is contrary to the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit of God. Psalm 27:1-2 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “Without faith it is impossible to please God…” Understanding fear is the opposite of faith, one could say, “with fear it is impossible to please God.” (I am talking about an unhealthy fear, not a healthy reverence of God). Faith frees you while fear freezes you. This is what happened to Peter, so he cries out, “Lord, save me.”

“Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him” (Matthew 14:31). As the song says, Jesus is “as close as the mention of His Name.” If fear has crept into your life, look and listen to Jesus. Cry out to Him! Do not let fear of the Covid-19 virus freeze you when it comes to living your life. Remember, Jesus trumps (no pun intended) the Covid-19 virus. WHEREVER YOU GO, JESUS IS WITH YOU! If Jesus is with you, by His Spirit in you, what or who should you be afraid of? Jesus is your Protector, Provider, Healer, Savior, and Lord!

I want to challenge the Church! As churches, stores, restaurants, sporting events, etc. reopen, let the Church lead the way in showing the world that we walk by faith and not by fear. In doing so, our actions will point them to Jesus. That does not mean throwing caution to the wind and acting recklessly. What it does mean is we live by faith in the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the Word of God. God orders our steps.

Pray this prayer from the song, “Oceans,” “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters, Wherever You would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior.”