In this time of fear for the coronavirus, I would like to give you 31 reasons to not be afraid. One reason for every day of the month. This is not to say that the coronavirus is not dangerous. At the moment of writing, over 30,000 people have died and the number is likely to become much higher.
Neither do I claim that if you have enough faith, or proclaim that the blood of Jesus covers you, you are safe from the virus. I see many messages and memes going around on the internet that claim this. That is just plain wrong. Evangelical pastors have died of the coronavirus. Some outbreaks sped up because people got infected by the virus in a church service. “If you have faith, the coronavirus cannot touch you” sounds nice. But it is a lie of the devil.
Yet even in a situation when a pandemic is raging that might claim your life, there are other reasons not to be afraid. Let me give you a biblical reason not to be afraid, not to fear, and not to be anxious for every day of the month. The first ten reasons were published in “31 reasons not to be afraid of the coronavirus – part 1 (of 3)”. Here are the next ten.
11. Do not be afraid: God protects you with his angels.
“Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them”, (2 Kings 6:16).
These words the prophet Elisha spoke to tell his servant that God protected them with his angels. In the New Testament we read that God sends out his angels to serve those who are saved. This does not mean believers don’t get accidents or don’t get sick. But we know we have angel protection. If there is a case we don’t get protected, we trust God has a very good reason for it, and one day we will understand. But the normal situation is that God protects us with his angels. You do not need to be afraid.
12. Do not be afraid: Man and circumstances cannot touch you.
“We can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”, (Hebrews 13:6).
The Lord is our helper. He will never leave us or forsake us. That is a promise for everyone who believes in him. If God is with us, no man can harm us. And of course the same is true for viruses and other things.
This might not always give the outcome that we hope or expect. This question ‘what can man do to me?’ is asked just a few verses after saying that Christians are in prison because of their faith. The promise is not that life will be without problems or diseases. The promise is that ultimately, you are not in the hands of man and you are not in the hands of a virus. You are in the hands of God. Therefore you do not need to be afraid.
13. Do not be afraid: God gave you a spirit of power.
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”, (2 Timothy 1:7).
If you are a believer, God gives you the power to serve him in any circumstance. Whatever comes your way, whether it is a disease or a crisis around you brought by a virus or any other problem, God gives you the power to face these circumstances and to serve him in the midst of it. You do not need to be afraid.
14. Do not be afraid: God gave you a spirit of love.
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”, (2 Timothy 1:7).
Fear is thinking about yourself. Love is thinking about others. If you believe in God, God fills you with love. When a mother sees her baby in danger, she immediately helps without concern for herself. As you fully love others, there is no place left for fear. God gives you this spirit of love. You do not need to be afraid.
15. Do not be afraid: God gave you a spirit of self-control.
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”, (2 Timothy 1:7).
Fear is something in your head. It can go round and round and round, and grow bigger in the process. In the end, fear can become all-consuming. It is a Christian thing to say ‘stop’ to your fear and ‘stop’ to your thoughts running away. For God gives us a spirit of self-control, so that we can face the world with all our strength. You do not need to be afraid.
16. Do not be afraid: God is with you.
“Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”, (Joshua 1:9).
This promise is specifically given to Joshua as he is called by God to lead Israel. You can claim this promise for yourself if you believe in Jesus. For Jesus promised his disciples that He would be with them until the end of world. And the same thing is true for you as it was for Joshua: if God is with you, there is nothing to be afraid of. He will take care of you. You do not need to be afraid.
17. Do not be afraid: Better times are coming.
“After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you”, (1 Peter 5:10).
Peter is writing to a church going through a difficult time. He tells them: there are better times ahead. The same is true for you. There are better times ahead. Peter is talking about the eternal glory that we will receive. So you don’t know whether the better times ahead will be here on earth or in heaven. But it is going to be better. You do not need to be afraid.
18. Do not be afraid: Jesus prepared a place for you in heaven.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”, (John 14:1-2).
The best way to not let anything trouble your heart, is to realize that Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven. You only need to believe in him to be forever welcomed in his heavenly home. The value of this home in heaven is so high, that everything else pales besides it. There are so many problems on earth, and so many things people are afraid about – whether it is a virus or something else.
But if you have a million dollars, you do not fear losing hundred. If you have a place in heaven, you do not fear what can happen on earth. You do not need to be afraid.
19. Do not be afraid: You have friends who encourage you.
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad”, (Proverbs 12:25).
Fear pulls you down. The more you are alone with your own thoughts, the easier it becomes that fear will reign your life. We are now in a time that many people are quarantined and see few other people. That makes fear grow.
But encouragement by others, this verse reminds us, helps to chase away fear. Make sure you keep hearing the good words that drive away fear. Hear them from God’s Word, but also hear them from friends and family. You do not need to be afraid.
20. Do not be afraid: God comforts you.
“When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul”, (Psalm 94:19).
When life is going well, you are busy with many things: your family, your job and career, your hobbies, sports, friends. When worries strike, like in this time of the coronavirus, things change. You turn inward. And you notice: ‘the cares of my heart are many’.
That is a time of special opportunity to get a closer relationship with God. You are more aware that you need God. And He is there for you. He speaks to you, He strengthens you, He comforts you. If God comes close to you in this time, make sure you don’t walk away from him when things return to normal. And for now: let God comfort you. You do not need to be afraid.
For more reasons not to be afraid of the coronavirus, click here.
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