Is the Covid-19 Pandemic a Call for Repentance?

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
                                        2 Peter 3:9 KJV
 




​Hi friends,

     How are you?  I hope you are well.  Sometimes I think about the pandemic and whether or not it was brought on by God or by Satan.  I am not sure the origin of the pandemic.  Yet, I do know that many people have been touched by it.
  
     Regardless of the origin, I wonder if God is using the pandemic to give people a chance to grow closer to Him.  I wonder if it is like a “last chance motivator” to get our affairs in order and get on the right path.  And, yes, either way, I can’t wait for it to be over.  I will be glad when the difficulties of the pandemic will be over. What are your thoughts?

     I do believe that God either initiates or allows difficult things to happen, so that we feel a warning.  It could be a “close call” in a health matter.  Or, it could be a global pandemic, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. It could be many different things. Whatever the affliction or struggle, we sometimes realize that there is a lesson in it for us.  That lesson could be that we need to learn patience or that we need to learn to praise God even during difficult times.  Although, that lesson could be that we need to learn to follow God’s Word and to grow closer to Him.  Our difficult time may be to remind us that we have something buried in our life that needs forgiveness.

     I don’t know about you, but I am way over the pandemic.  I am ready to have a mask free life.  Yet, if God is using this time to give us motivation to get “right with Him”, then we must still need time.  This might be difficult to understand.  I mean, we are all tired of the pandemic.  We know that.  God is a loving God.  We know that. So, why can’t it just be over already?

     Well, if we go back to the idea that the pandemic may be a warning, we may be able to understand it a little better.  Have you ever given a child a warning, like, “When I count down from twenty to zero your toys better be picked up or you will be grounded”?  Then, you start counting down.  And, if the child isn’t acting right away, you start counting slower in order to give that child a better chance to finish.  Yes. I have done that as well.  I wanted to give that child every chance to succeed within the restrictions I had set.  It is the same way with God.

     God wants us to succeed, so He will give us many chances and as much leeway as possible in order to succeed.  So, if the pandemic is a warning of “you better get right with God by the time this pandemic is over or you will be sorry”, then God is probably letting the pandemic continue to give even more people a chance to “get right with Him”.
 
     Are you right with God?  If the answer is “yes”, great!  If the answer is “no’, now is the time to get right with Him.  So, what can we do?  We can pray. We can pray that more and more people, ourselves included, do what is necessary to get right with God.  Yes, we want the pandemic to be over.  But that might not be the prayer we should be praying, maybe the prayer should be that as many people as possible use this time to get right with God.  What do you think?
 
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Heavenly Father,
     Thank you for your holy Word.  Thank you for being our Heavenly Father and loving us so much.  Help us to remember that when we are going through difficult times, often there are lessons to be learned or good to come out of it.  Help us to not just pray for the difficulty to stop, but for the lessons to be learned and for the good to come.  Help us to be right with you.  I ask you this through your Son, Jesus.  Amen.
 
Reflective Questions for 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV):
*What does 2 Peter 3:9 mean to me?
*Am I right with God?
*Do I feel that the pandemic is from God or from Satan?
*Is the pandemic a warning or motivation to get “right with God”?
*Am I praying for the pandemic to be over or for people to get “right with 
 God”?

Now, it is your turn.
     I would like to know your thoughts.  Please, comment below or feel free to contact me.  Also, if you haven't already, and you find value in the Faith Blog by DUO Inspirations, please consider signing up to receive it in your inbox.  Thank you. 
 

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