A silver lining could be coming from this nightmare…
Because I believe in the sovereignty and “Almighty-ness” of God, I believe He will “have his way in the whirlwind and in the storm” (Nahum 1:3). History testifies that great catastrophes that have shaken nations opened the door for spiritual awakening. In fact, it sometimes takes a great shaking to pull people out of their spiritual lethargy and wake them up to the realities of the frailty of life and their need for God.
For instance, before the Great Awakening of the 1700’s that swept England and jumped the ocean to drench the early American colonies in red hot revival, England was in horrible condition. A huge percentage of its people were alcoholics, hooked on gin. Child abuse was pandemic. Lawlessness abounded. And the Church of England was as dead as a corpse on a slab. It was THEN that God raised up three young men—John and Charles Wesley, and George Whitfield—to shake the nation with the gospel! Tens of thousands were swept into the kingdom of God and a national tragedy was turned into a national revival.
Following World War II, Americans were shaken by the harsh realities of war and death. Life was precarious. Loved ones were gone and the future was uncertain. Yet it was then that Americans turned to God in great numbers! Three fourths of the population could be found in church every Sunday. In 1948, just 3 years after the wars end on September 2, 1945, God raised up Billy Graham to preach the gospel on a level never before seen. Graham had America’s ear and soon became “America’s pastor,” remaining so till his recent passing.
Could it be that God will move again in the midst of this terrible Coronavirus? My prayer is that He will!