“Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you?” Ezekiel 22:14(a).

When we are in the midst of trials and testing, it appears there is no end visible at the end of the tunnel. Al trials and sufferings have this common trait. However, all the severe trials humans experienced in history always ended after some time. Of course, through it many lives would be lost, relationship strained and vanish all we earned through our hard work.

COVID-19 is not different from such incidents in human history. However, the creator and sustainer of all have few teaching lessons for all.

First of all, all the earth and all that contains and all the whole universe belong to Him. We are under His sovereign authority are charged with stewardship for a while. Second, we must all know we are accountable to the creator God. No one can say I am not accountable to God for my behavior and actions and live in peace and without divine consequences. People who defy God and His existence must end their foolish and vain talks. God is the creator and owner of all. Again, people, nature, air, everything in the earth and the whole universe belong to Him. Here comes the stake of accountability for all he placed in our custody in his sovereign will and plan.

When God asks to give an account the question is “Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you?” A thought-provoking question the Lord God asked and recorded in Ezekiel 22:14. The background of the passage in Ezekiel 22 describes how people lived irresponsibly in those days when He was about to send his severe judgment on the nation. They made false gods and idols to add to their sins, the rulers used their power to kill the innocent, defenseless and vulnerable, people did not honor their father and mother, men lied about others to cause them to put to death, sexual immorality became the norm of the day even in worship places, they lived in uncontrollable sexual passions, they have paid money to people to kill others, they have made people pay them back more than owed, they hurt their neighbors and gave them pain. In doing these and other things, God says you have forgotten Him and His laws.

You see in those days, the world empire Babylon was God’s sword against the sins and rebelliousness of people. Today, it is the worldwide COVID-19- a novel virus -is God’s sword against ungodliness and stiff-necked rebelliousness. Thousands and thousands are dying every day. The newsmen who deliver news on the TV channel with full of emotions and almost the point of crying. Families are separated and people are locked in their homes, superstores and grocery stores get empty, people are saddened due to lack of supplies and people do not know what to do. Millions of people unemployed and begin to live in poverty. The developed countries look like third world countries these days. Schools once honored God and His words put him out of it for many years now. Now the schools are closed indefinitely. Attacks and slaughter against the God-ordained family structure continued to be legally approved by nations and states.

Beloved, God asks the question that demands an answer from us these days. “Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you?” The answer is this – our ability and courage would not endure if he deals with us to give accounts. Our hands would not be strong when he ask accounts. If so, what must we do? You see, people did not honor God. They defied God and His eternal and everlasting word. They killed innocents. They fabricated their own idols to cherish –sinful and lustful passions-instead of obeying God’s counsels and warnings. Due to continuous dishonor and ingratitude toward God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper. In depraved minds, people began to glory in shameful things even publicly in front of small children. They proved themselves as enemies of Christ about whom the Bible says in the Philippines 3:19 their end is destruction.

Listen, Coronavirus is not the end of all. Hopefully, things would change in a few months. However, the destruction it caused would last for many years to come. The history and economies of the world would change in unimaginable ways. If not all, many will survive and come out of it. However, remember we caused our own destruction. We caused our own family’s and nation’s destruction by dishonoring God and his eternal and everlasting words accurately recorded in the pages of the Bible.

Beloved, what is the solution? People must come back to the basics – they must honor God and His words that are recorded in His book- the Bible. People must seek God and pray to Him. He is not far away from us. He is available 24 hours and 7 days of the week if you would pray in His Son’s name, Jesus Christ. People must turn from their wicked, evil and ungodly behaviors and actions and confess to God and one another.

May these be days we confess our sins and errors to God. Moreover, may these be the days we confess to one another for the hurt and pain we caused. Days of turning back to the Lord God who is loving, compassionate and gracious to forgive us.

“Father in heaven, these days are perilous. We and our children are shut in our homes in fear and confusion because of our sins and rebelliousness toward you. I turn to the living God in heaven in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ for help and deliverance. Please forgive my sins because you said in you there is an abundance of forgiveness and deliverance if we truly turn to you and pray. I receive Jesus, your Son, as my savior and Lord. He died, buried and rose again in my place as a ransom for my sins. Please save me and save the people around me and in the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”