Waiting in Faith

When a crisis of large proportion occurs in a region or state, I try to consider what God
is doing as part of His sovereign plan. I first of all pray and then go to scripture to try to
find something similar, even if remotely similar, that applies in His Word to the crisis at
hand. Sometimes, hidden away in the nuggets of God’s Word, I find something that
speaks to the particular issue going on at the time and I am delighted. It gives me a
sense of confidence and peace that God showed up and dealt with a similar situation in
the past and He will prove to show up and faithfully work in the current situation.

This time, I must admit, COVID-19 was a head-scratcher for me. I ask over and over
again; What is God up to even now with this worldwide pandemic?

• Is God bringing judgment on the world due to sin?
• Is God bringing the world to its knees with this pandemic to remind man that He
  is God and that they need to turn their eyes toward Him for help and
  dependence?
• Is God unable or impotent to stop something like this from happening?
• Is God using this time of waiting and physical pain to reset our priorities toward
  Him and toward life as we know it?

Lots of choices to pick from. We could pick one depending on our perspective, but I do
not think we will understand the full reason for this pandemic and its complete purpose
until we talk with our Heavenly Father in heaven one day. I do know that we are to have
faith over fear and trust in God’s sovereign hand which is always good toward those
who love Him. Common grace is given by God to allow all men and women who are
born to be born and enjoy life within the boundaries of love and favor. Ultimately, in this
pandemic, innocent, good and followers of Christ are losing their lives, but God is the
giver of life and the taker of life as well, (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).

I believe that God is driving us to Himself by the long wait we are in. I think of Joseph
and his spending thirteen years unjustly in slavery and imprisonment. I think of the
Apostle Paul and his powerful ministry while he was incarcerated. I think of Noah and
his family in the Ark for about a year while God destroyed the world and its people. It
took faith to keep these and others in the Bible moving forward when there was no
seeming answer to why they were to wait. It is in the crucible of waiting, of trials and
tribulations that character is forged and revealed.

My takeaway is that God is resetting the world’s priorities and letting people know that
He is there and can be found. Mankind had become too self- sufficient in the way they
conducted things in the world and mankind had deceived himself into thinking in many,
many ways, they could control the world. God has woken us up in order for us to
humble ourselves and look to Him more deeply and with more dependence than ever
before as we move forward with this pandemic.

I hope you are searching the scriptures and asking God to simplify your life, to show you
what is most important, and set your personal vision anew with revised priorities that
you are committed to. I have learned in a deep way that God is in charge of my day and
I am not. I have learned to be available to Him and wait for His leading. I have learned
that even if what He says or how He leads in a particular way or day, I have learned to
go and do it, trusting Him more deeply.

When the waiting is over, will I continue to be patient and wait on Him or will I do what I
think “instinctively” what He wants me to do? That is just one of the deep lessons I am
pondering at this time with the pandemic. What is God teaching you and what are you
applying in your life the lessons you are learning?

The elders have determined that we will attempt to meet at our first reopened worship
service on June 7th provided the Governor’s restrictions have been lifted and we have
developed adequate guidelines to have a safe and sanitary time together as a church
family. We will not have Sunday School or Children’s Church for the months of June,
July and August. Vacation Bible School is canceled. Connect Groups are discussing
how they will meet together as the summer unfolds. Stay tuned for communication
coming out mid- May with more details.

At the end of this pandemic, there are going to be God stories of how God has worked. I
look forward to hearing those as we wait for “The Great Wait” to continue and end. God
will get the glory and the last word when we see this pandemic ease up after taking its
toll on mankind.
I am faithfully,

Yours and His,
Pastor Ed Hedding