Pastor Sam Crosby
San Saba’s First Baptist Church
March 17, 2020
As of today, there are 329,398,521 Americans who have not contracted the coronavirus. Praise the Lord! Of the 182,596 who have contracted the virus worldwide, 79,881 have recovered! Thank the Lord! Of the current 95,545 active cases, 94% of them are considered a mild condition. Yes, we need to pray for those who are suffering and for the families who have lost precious loved ones, but we also need to celebrate the numbers who have survived and continue to recover.
Attitude is about focus. You can either focus on what is wrong or right. You can focus on what is bad or good. The glass can really be half full or half empty, depending on how you look at it.
Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from prison. Though his circumstances were horrid and freedom limited, he writes, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12, NIV). Paul could see the hand of God at work in the midst of the struggles he was facing.
Joseph, too, found reason to praise God despite the horrible things he faced. He discovered that his time as a slave, wrongful imprisonment, and the hateful way he was treated by his brothers all worked into God’s plan to save his family and feed the world. He told his brothers after his father died, “…you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:20, NKJ).
Our current crisis in America has also brought about good. Families are spending more time together. People are praying more than they have in the past. I have heard many stories of people reaching out to help others. There is much less news about political tension in Washington. Maybe we are learning to be thankful for the simple things we once took for granted – like toilet paper.
One story highlighted Whataburger employees carrying food to HEB workers who were working overtime. Another story featured the creative ways parents were using the extra time they have with their children at home. A medical doctor pointed out that we have all become more health conscious and are practicing better hygiene habits than we were before. It is possible that when this crisis is over, we might actually have less flu and colds as people continue to apply new health habits to their lives.
The Bible says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5:16, NKJ). The Lord wants us to be calm, prayerful and thankful in every circumstance. Life in this world will never be perfect. We live on a planet that has been broken by sin. But through the cross of Jesus Christ, God has redeemed our souls. He is also able to redeem every crisis for something good.