For most of 2020 the Pandemic, Isolation, and Fear have been in every ones thoughts. Is there a way to get through this without loosing our minds? Don’t let the Pandemic get you down. 
How can you find hope for living through a pandemic?
Remember God is still in Control.
Daniel 2:21 “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”
Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
I know from my own experience that too often in life I have put too much trust in material things and too much hope that mankind can solve its own problems.
I saw it in the responses of the past election where many choose to go with a new president instead of the current president. 
Why, while one thing I kept hearing is that too little was done to solve the pandemic. We have this tendency to think that by electing new leaders we can see better results with the problems of this world. We lean on the promises of leaders to make a way through troubling times instead of leaning on God to help us find our way.
We are not alone. As a believer we are part of a community of believers that exists in every part of the world. And we serve a mighty God who knows exactly what we need the most at any given time in our life. We serve a God who has promised to never leave or forsake us. And we serve a God who is in control. Nothing happens without God allowing it. And when God allows something even bad things there is a reason or purpose behind that decision.
Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”
Now we don’t need to know the “why’s”; why did God allow this pandemic to happen to us now. We just have to trust Him through this time.
When you read through the book of Acts you will see how God’s people kept sharing the gospel, helping one another even in spite of all the persecution they faced. They too were limited by what they could and could not do and they lived through times that were hard. Through it all God kept them in perfect peace. They grew spiritually and numerically during the worst of times.
God works miracles in the wilderness times.
We are about to enter the Christmas season, a time for celebration of the birth of Christ. The beginning of the message of the first coming of Christ began in the wilderness; a place of loneliness and isolation.
Mark 1: 1- 4 “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way. 3 a voice of one crying in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The calling of Abraham came as he journeyed throughout the area of Canaan. He wondered throughout a land that was not his own.
The calling of Moses came when he was wandering in the wilderness tending the flock.
Exodus 3:1 “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.”
The point is that even in the wilderness areas of our life, like this pandemic God still moves. Often that is because in those times of life where we are at a loss to save ourselves God can get through in a mighty way.
So we can learn to have hope in this season of our life – It starts will looking to God for help and comfort when times are tough. And hope can grow if we let God teach us as we journey through this time.
Learn to let go of things that are not important.
One of the things that I have learned personally in this pandemic is that there are some things which are not important.
We used to meet regularly including worship and Sunday school, our focus was in continual reaching out increasing the numbers of new believers as well as helping others to grow spiritually.
At first, I struggled to try to make sense of the loss of all that was normal, but in time I began to look to God seeking his will for my life in this situation.
When you are in the wilderness you have to learn to survive in new ways. Before this time I believed that the only way to share the good news was through personal contact, through gathering together with other believers. As time moved forward I began to look for new ways to share the good news, to offer comfort and encouragement to other believers.
I had to stretch myself – trying different things through social media, even recording videos that would keep the hope in the gospel flowing. I am not a big fan of social media but like any other platform it can be used for good.
The key to growing in any hard time is to look for new ways to do what you need to do.
Learn from the hard times setting new priorities.
You can find hope even in this pandemic. The key is to learn from the hard times and set new priorities.
“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” – Leroy Satchel Paige
“Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.” – Jim Rohn
“Have great hopes and dare to go all out for them. Have great dreams and dare to live them. Have tremendous expectations and believe in them.” – Norman Vincent Peale
The thing I realized is that it is in the times of wilderness like this pandemic that God reveals new things. Just as in the Christmas story began in the wilderness and brought new hope to humanity.
We too can find new hope in this season of life if we are willing to look beyond the darkness into the light of God’s eternal hope.
Conclusion
We don’t have to let this pandemic get us down, we can find hope in the God who is in control. The choice is ours. We are able to move forward with renewed hope; all things are possible.
I hope that this article has brought you hope. You are not alone. Please feel free to comment on this post and I would be sure to get back with you as soon as possible.
Ray
