He Is in Charge

As I write this, a significant portion of the world’s population is under some sort of government-decreed restriction on activity and mandated physical isolation as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has led many people to question where God is in all this. Many say they know exactly why this is happening and make pronouncements about the end of the world. I understand all the talk.

I have had moments when I wondered why God is allowing us to go through this —not just the physical restrictions but the impact this is having on so many people because businesses have had to close, and millions have lost their jobs and source of income.

I have prayed and asked God to stop this virus, as have others all over the planet, yet more people are infected every day, and people die.

It is easy to think God is not interested in what is going on with us down here. When those thoughts enter my head, I must find a way to bring my thoughts back to where they need to be. I try to count ways that God has shown clearly that He cares about what happens to me. Each of us can think of times when God has intervened in the small things in our lives, whether it is finding misplaced keys or someone calling just when you needed to hear what that person had to say. Someone I know was down to her last US$20 because she couldn’t work due to coronavirus restrictions.

She happened to see a neighbor, who told her from a safe distance that she had left a gift in her mailbox. Retrieving the envelope from her mailbox, my friend found US$1,000. God works in mysterious ways.

He does not always answer our prayers the way we expect.

However, He is always looking out for us, and He is always in control.

Jean Arthur