Our world is changing. In fact, right now, it seems to dramatically change daily. The news continually keeps us informed on the Coronavirus. Somehow it feels like I’ve been here before, it was a different time in my life and different circumstances. In September of 2001, I, like millions of others, was glued to the TV for updates. We all remember where we were on 9/11. That sobering and frightening day changed our world forever. The TSA was established and permanently changed our airport security. Our then-president George W Bush led the Global War on Terrorism. Our economy was hit hard. It took a long time to recover on so many fronts. United We Stand was a popular saying at that time. There was a surge of patriotism. Suddenly the American flag was on display everywhere. Our family was affected by 9/11. Ben was re-activated to active duty with the Marines and sent to Iraq. The country saw a surge in church attendance. I could go on and on, but after that fateful day, all of our lives changed. 

In all probability, we will see more drastic changes in our world as we know it as a result of the Coronavirus. In a matter of days, our routines and agendas have been turned upside down. We are living a new normal. We are a consumer society. We hardly know what to with ourselves when there is a drastic upheaval in our daily lives. We can’t go out and buy what we want, or we go out in a panic and empty the grocery store shelves. Many people are suddenly unemployed, as well. Something is unsettling about being told we can’t gather as a church, travel, go to restaurants, and our children and grandchildren are home from school for an indefinite time. We as Americans have so much, compared to other parts of the world, yet fear and panic have overridden common sense. 

Sometimes God uses gentle reminders to bring our focus back to Him, especially during a crisis. I was out walking our dogs just to get out of the house and away from news surfing. I passed an older gentleman probably in his 80’s. He smiled and asked, “Are you doing alright?” I assured him I was and asked him the same question. He replied, “I’m doing fine.” This man is from the Greatest Generation. He has seen our country through depression, war, and much more. Maybe it was the way he said, “I’m doing fine,” that struck me. There was a quiet, steady confidence about him that I found reassuring. Suddenly I wasn’t in a hurry to get home and catch up on the latest news. My pace slowed, and I looked up and marveled at how blue the sky was. 

There is a quiet, steady calm that the Lord promises us when we look up and trust Him. Listen to what Jeremiah 17:7-8 says.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But it’s leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.” 

We will be blessed if we trust in Him. We will be nourished, we will thrive, and we aren’t to fear when the heat of trials, uncertainly, or chaos comes. Where do we put our roots down as we live the new normal? The Lord uses nature often in scriptures to help us understand His love and faithfulness to us. Just as a tree gets its nourishment through the roots, so we have a steady resource of hope, assurance, and confidence in Him. On previous walks, I noted that the boughs of a tree seem to point up in adoration or bow down in worship to Him. Isn’t it often the simplest of things that bring us back to pure worship regardless of the situation?

The way we worship will look different for a while. It will make the time we do come together again as worshippers all the sweeter. I miss the singing, and for someone who can’t sing, that’s saying something! 

What will history record about this pandemic? Will it include a nation and a world that has been humbled and turned back to God? Will we recognize that our dependence and strength aren’t built on our 401(k)s or our intellect, but on God, His Word, and prayer? Will we see patriotism surge once again? Will we see a renewed interest in things that really matter, like God, family, and country? Like 9/11, there will be good things that come from this. Only time will tell what those lessons will be.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow. The new normal is already here. It’s how we, as Christians, respond to it and see the opportunities for the fruit of the gospel that will make a difference. Our children and grandchildren need to see us leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus. Our frantic world needs to see where we, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are firmly planted.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain:
Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how sweet to walk, In this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.