“The wind blows where it wishes
and you hear the sound of it,
but do not know where it comes from
and where it is going;
so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8

The work of the Spirit of God in the new birth is mysterious, like the wind. It is God’s work of drawing, convicting, and enlightening people to the truth of salvation. When it happens, we know it, for we see the effects of the Spirit: new life in the person who responds by faith. This process is wonderful and often unexpected.

It’s no wonder Jesus used the wind as an example. The wind, to us, is unpredictable. It seemingly comes from nowhere, but its effects are felt and known. Sometimes those winds are destructive.

A few years ago, we had a severe windstorm—remember? The effects were everywhere. There were trees down blocking streets, downed power lines, and so power outages everywhere. It was November, cold, and we were without power. But we survived.

And so we are again in the midst of “wind storm,” of another kind. We are all suffering the impact of the Coronavirus, the effects of which we see everywhere around us. Events are being canceled, businesses are suffering, and stores are running out of some basic supplies (toilet paper!), and many are panicked. But most of these are mere inconveniences. The real specter of contracting the virus, and its effects, particularly among the elderly, is something we cannot take lightly. All of us must follow the simple guidelines of washing our hands, covering coughs, and staying home when sick. We certainly encourage our elder-saints to stay home if you have serious underlying health issues. You can always watch the VBC sermons online.

But what should we not do? We should not fear. We should not lose hope. We should never despair. Here are three essential truths for us as Christians that are constant, and must be appropriated at a time like this:

We do not fear.

We have hope.

We are light in the darkness of despair.

My go-to Psalm, when things are uncertain, is Psalm 46. Please, read it, reflect on it, believe it. I’ll let God’s Word speak for itself.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

We do not fear. We, of all people, should not fear for we have hope beyond this world. And we are light in the midst of the darkness of despair that is engulfing so many. The Gospel is the answer to everything that is wrong with this world, all the effects of the winds of the curse of Adam: sin, despair, darkness, disease, death. We possess that answer. Seek ways to be light in the midst of this darkness and offer hope to those who fear.

In the midst of this worldwide crisis, are there uncertainties? Yes, of course. But one thing is sure and certain, God’s sovereignty. Just as He is sovereign in salvation, so is He sovereign in the affairs of this world—even the Coronavirus. He is to be trusted, worshiped, and obeyed.

Because God is sure, so are our comfort and hope. And we can be a source of comfort and hope to others. In fact, that’s one of the reasons God’s Spirit blew into our lives. He didn’t just give us new life by His Spirit so we could have a personal hope and keep it all to ourselves. Rather, because of His love for us and love for the world, he breathed into our lives to give us new life so that we would share that hope in this uncertain time.

So the effects of the destructive winds of sin are all around us. The effect of the Spirit breathing life into our lives is within us. May the impact of the new birth in all of us be hope of life shared with others.