Why Covid is Not from God and How to End It
The Covid-19 pandemic is evil. Whatever its physical origins, Satan’s hand is all over it. Death, collapse of businesses, pro-vaccine/anti-vaccine division, loss of jobs through vaccine mandates, huge over-reach through government control – the list goes on and on. John 10:10 (NIV) says, “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Some may say, however, that God has brought good out of the situation. Online church is one example – many more people have tuned in who would not necessarily visit a church. Because of the global distress Covid has caused, more people are willing to listen to the great hope that the gospel of Jesus gives. But just because God brings good out of a situation, doesn’t mean he sent it. He is always working things for good (see Romans 8:28). That’s his nature, because he is good and only does what is good (see Psalm 119:68).
Certainly, as nations have abandoned faith in God, or never had it in the first place, divine protection over those nations has lifted, making them more prone to the ravages of a fallen world. According to the Book of Revelation, there will come a time when God will pour out his judgements on a rebellious world that has turned down every chance of salvation. But that time is not here yet. Jesus stated it clearly at the beginning of his ministry. In his hometown Nazareth’s synagogue, he read Isaiah’s prophecy about himself (Isaiah 61:1-2 NIV):
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God.
When Jesus quoted this, he deliberately stopped at the year of the Lord’s favour. He did not include the day of vengeance (judgement) part – see Luke 4:18-19. That’s because Jesus came to announce God’s kindness and grace for the forgiveness of sins to all who receive him as Saviour. It’s not God’s will that any perish. Though a day of justice and judgement is coming, today is still the time of his favour.
PRAY!!!
Instead of hand-wringing over government controls, arguing over vaccines and so on, the global Church ought to be crying out to God for mercy for a lost world to be saved. Satan would love to distract us from the mission of seeing God’s kingdom on earth. This also means that we can ask that God, in his mercy, will stop this pandemic. When it first broke last year, Greta and I asked the Lord how to pray about it. He gave us Matthew 5:45: “Be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” If ever the world needed some heavenly sunshine and rain, it’s now.
More recently, Jeremiah 29:7 came into focus: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Incredible. This was said to Jewish exiles in the most corrupt and ungodly city on earth at the time – Babylon. And the world is much like Babylon at present. Yet we are to pray to God and work for the welfare of the cities and nations we live in.
Despite the emergence of Covid Omicron, I feel that 2022 will be a turning point year in the Covid pandemic. To quote Winston Churchill, I am not sure if it will be the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. But I am sure that if we pray, 2022 will be significant in the fight against this pandemic. Pray for better, safer vaccines and treatments; pray for supernatural intervention from heaven; pray for what is hidden to be uncovered and exposed. Pray for lost people to be saved. Pray for spiritual awakening.
Giving endless time to conspiracies, no matter how truthful or otherwise they may be, and sending heated messages to pastors who are trying to do their best in the most difficult situations, are distractions. It’s time we got back to prayer and mission and robust faith that God is in control and on his throne. This is the Holy Spirit’s wake up call to the sleeping Church.
The devil will not win. Evil people will not win. In the end, everything hidden will come to light and corrupt people will stumble and fall. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act,” says Psalm 37:7 (NLT). “Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” In other words, focus on the Lord and pray for his kingdom to come to earth. Leave the wicked to him. Let his light of kindness shine through us and love our enemies by praying for them. Some of them are Sauls who will become Pauls (see Acts 9). And some are evil Herods whom God will remove (see Acts 12:23). Leave it to him to decide.
“The great need of the day,” wrote American evangelist R. A. Torrey, “is prayer, more prayer, and much prayer.” This need has never been stronger today.