The new year did not bring us the relief from this awful pandemic that we hoped for – it has rather got worse. These new and more threatening strains of Coronavirus mean that uncertainty and risk are still with us. More lockdown is disappointing but necessary, and yet the rollout of vaccines is encouraging.
Governments continue to struggle with the decisions they have to make, and they need our prayers. People are struggling in many different ways, and they too need our prayers and what support we can offer. Our hearts go out to the many who are disadvantaged, lonely, and more depressed after all these months.
I think we are also alarmed at those who ignore the many clear warnings given about the risks posed by this virus. At least some of the present high numbers of infections and consequent deaths are due to carelessness, selfishness and neglect of the sound advice given regularly.
I wish there was some better news to share about Coronavirus. But instead, stark landmark numbers this past week have brought home to us how bad it is. In the UK, over 100,000 people have now died due to this horrible disease, and this number continues to rise. Worldwide, the total number of infections has passed 100 million, with over 2 million deaths, increasing.
Huge Numbers
These huge numbers are being used to chart the pandemic, but we can’t just regard them as cold statistics. Contained within them are real people who were dearly loved and are now sadly missed. We stop a minute to sympathise. That’s very meaningful and poignant personally for those of us who have experienced the loss ourselves.
Better News
There is some better news about vaccinations – around 8 million in the UK within just a few weeks. We were among these to get our first “jab” a few days ago - painless and free of complications afterwards!
Light at the End
We often hear that the vaccines are giving “light at the end of the tunnel”, which is most welcome. But the tunnel is particularly dark for many who are still suffering. It is a constant struggle against exhaustion for many health professionals s they give their utmost to alleviate distress and save lives, while others are working hard to minimise the damage to people’s wellbeing and livelihoods.
Good News?
Is there any other good news to share? There is always some good news for someone somewhere! But you know the Gospel brings good news for everyone everywhere! It is beautifully summarised in the Bible in John 3.16. Have you noticed how G–O–S–P–E–L is spelt out in the verse?
For God so loved the world
that He Gave his Only begotten Son
that whoever believes in Him
should not Perish but have Everlasting Life.
Amazing Love
Isn’t it amazing that God loves us, and a more amazing still that He showed His love by giving His Son to die for us? We surely ought to love God because of all that He has done, but 1 John 4.10 reminds us “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins”.
One day the Lord Jesus told a lawyer that the greatest of all Old Testament commandments is that “we should love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind” (Matthew 22.35-38). But love is not really the result of an order or a command – it is a spontaneous response of the heart. That’s how God loves each one of us – completely, unconditionally, eternally.
Loved with an everlasting love
By Him who left His home above,
To bring us life and light, and love,
Because He loved.
Loved, when our sky is clouded o'er,
And days of sorrow press us sore;
Still, will we trust Him evermore,
For we are loved.
Loved in the past of yesterday,
And all along our future way,
And in the present of today –
Forever loved.
Loved when we sing the glad new song
To Christ, for whom we've waited long,
With all the happy, ransomed throng –
Forever loved.
If you wish to check it out, and maybe find the tune on YouTube,
you’ll find these words in a hymn by Grace Pennell which begins -
Loved! - then the way will not be drear ...
Used by kind permission of Bert Cargill, Scotland
One of the common problems we all have is our weakness to resist temptation. It is the same for every one of us. We often explain it away by saying ‘we are only human’ or ‘it’s my weakness’ or similar phrases. The simple fact is that we are flawed by nature and there are things in life that we find very hard to resist. Having said all that when a person gets saved or becomes a Christian, they are a new creation, 2 Cor. 5. 17. They will still feel the struggle which is caused by temptation, but they now have new life and the Spirit of God to strengthen them and keep them from falling.
Scripture Reading
Let no one say when he is tempted,
‘I am tempted by God’;
for God cannot be tempted by evil,
nor does He Himself tempt anyone
James 1:13
Today’s verse is saying that God does not have a problem with evil. He is not attracted to it. This is best illustrated in the life of the Lord Jesus. When the Devil came to tempt Him, it is stated that there was nothing in Him that responded to his advances, John 14. 30. So simply put God does not struggle with evil not did the Lord Jesus. If only we could say that; but things are so different for us.
We all have a daily battle, see Romans 7, with right and wrong. Some days are worse than others and some things are more of a temptation than others. Resisting thinking wrong things is a problem but once a person is saved it can get more intense as their conscience is keener than before. Thankfully, they have the Holy Spirit to appeal to for help.
In closing do not lose sight of this. God never tempts us to do evil. He may test us at times, but it is never His purpose for us to sin. In fact, he wants us to learn to resist temptation and to be aware of our weaknesses. Submit to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you, James writes in chapter 4 verse 7.
