In Times Like These What Does It Mean To Walk In His Presence?
Ephesians 5:15-19NLT
15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
Paul writes—Be care how you live, live wise. Refuse to live foolishly.
Make the most of every opportunity. This opportunity should be for the believer to shine.
Don’t act thoughtlessly. Take thought of your actions—And then you’ll understand God’s will.
Don’t do fleshly things like drinking, but be filled with the Spirit—Be being filled!
The apostle John tells us that God’s love is a perfect love that casts out all fear, because fear involves torment.
1 John 4:18NKJV There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
But what does this verse mean? God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them. Torment disrupts God’s love, it corrupts God’s good plan of love.
Paul tells Timothy almost the same thing in 2 Timothy 1:7NKJV For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
How did Jesus respond to pandemic times? How about the Apostle Paul?
Matthew 26:36-46TLB Then Jesus brought them to a garden grove, Gethsemane, and told them to sit down and wait while he went on ahead to pray. 37 He took Peter with him and Zebedee’s two sons James and John, and began to be filled with anguish and despair.
38 Then he told them, “My soul is crushed with horror and sadness to the point of death . . . stay here . . . stay awake with me.”
39 He went forward a little, and fell face downward on the ground, and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup be taken away from me. But I want your will, not mine.”
40 Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. “Peter,” he called, “couldn’t you even stay awake with me one hour? 41 Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For the spirit indeed is willing, but how weak the body is!”
42 Again he left them and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot go away until I drink it all, your will be done.”
43 He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy, 44 so he went back to prayer the third time, saying the same things again.
45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Sleep on now and take your rest . . . but no! The time has come! I am betrayed into the hands of evil men! 46 Up! Let’s be going! Look! Here comes the man who is betraying me!”
Jesus’ responds to pandemic was prayer. The Son of God goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray not once, or twice, but 3 times.
If Jesus being God’s Son, prays about His own betrayal 3 times, I think it’s safe to say, we should pray about the coronavirus and give this solely unto the Lord.
Notice after the third time, though His disciples were fast asleep, Jesus knew His Fathers answer, and He received peace of mind for the near future.
What does a believer that prays accomplish?
It accomplishes Peace.
It solidifies God’s will.
It positions us for victory.
Testimony: I got out of my car and proceeded to go into a local grocery store today, as I walked, a man in his car begin blowing His horn, saying, “Get out of my way!”
Others in the store were walking with worry written all over their faces.
The Apostle Paul had reason to worry, during his missions journey. Paul was told on a couple of occasions, what awaited him, and it wasn’t pleasant.
Notice Paul’s words in Romans 8: 36-39TLB ….the Scriptures tell us that for his sake we must be ready to face death at every moment of the day—we are like sheep awaiting slaughter; 37 but despite all this, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us. 38 For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, 39 or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.
Yes fear of the unknown is all around us, but I also believe that this is just a test of the great perils that awake believers in the last days.
Despite all this—pandemic reports, suffering and pain we are more-than-conquerors.
Despite all this—Believer’s obtain overwhelming victory.
Despite facing daily death—Christ loved us so much He died in our place.
Despite of fear—fear can’t separate us from God’s love.
Despite everything—death can’t separate us, life can’t, angels can’t, not even hell can’t separate us from God’s love!
Despite whatever… God’s love working through us is the world’s answer.
Benediction.
