“I am not going back to Egypt,” should be the cry of every Christian! I, myself, don’t want to go back to normal after the Coronavirus, which will include sitting on pews, closing the church doors behind us, and listening to an hour-long sermon along with some praise music. If that is what we have to look forward to, just put me in the desert and allow me to wander around for forty years, cause I am not going back to Egypt!
God has graciously given us this time to daydream and see ourselves and our lives differently! Because, after trial and difficulties come very good things. And I think we should see our worship differently too! In my mind’s eye, there is a deep, crystal clear blue pool waiting for me to dive into, and it is full of God’s words. While immersing myself in God’s pool of His words, I will ponder how I can live out the blueprint of the church described in the book of Acts in the bible. And while languishing on my float in the glowing rays of God’s love, which warm my face and body, I will ask God for wisdom and knowledge concerning what He wants me to do next. God is the one who is pulling the rope on my float where I need to go.
I believe God has blessed us with this downtime for us to reassess our lives, to realize what is essential and needed, and what is not. No, I am not saying God started the Coronavirus! But God uses everything for His own good, and it says so in the bible along with the fact that forty is a significant number in the bible. Isn’t our quarantine a forty-day quarantine? The number forty is used 159 times throughout the old and new testament. And, usually, at the end of the forty days or years, something significant happens.
After forty years of wandering in the desert, the children of Israel were allowed to go into the promised land. Moses received the Ten Commandments after his forty, and Elijah obtained his instructions for leading the people of Israel, and Jesus gave the devil his due at the end of forty. So you see, after our forty-day lockdown, we should be excited about what is to come and figure out how we will pursue it and Him!
If you are not exactly feeling my excitement and desire for the old normal to return, then I feel the need to ask you a question. If we have the resurrected Christ in our lives and we can do all things through Him, then why go back to the boring same old same old when the church can be so much more now? Are you afraid not to go back to the old stinky dishcloth normal? And what is normal anyway and can we go back?
I predict that we may not realize a return to normal so soon because I see the vast majority of people not adhering to social distancing protocol, which will bring about a sharp spike in Coronavirus cases and deaths. This means we do not have the virus under control, and we have not learned the lesson we needed to learn. God’s past record reveals to us that He will extend the first forty of trials if the experience was not understood.
Here is an interesting fact I think you should know. When everyone started washing their hands more because of the Coronavirus, we saw flu cases drop significantly. Common sense should tell you that in the past flu seasons, people were not stopping long enough to take the time to wash their hands when the flu was so rampant in our country. Ewwwww! Wait, I know twenty seconds is too long to stop in our instant society? How long was that comment? Yep, washing our hands for those twenty seconds might save your life or someone you love!! Twenty seconds is half of forty, is that too long now?
Are you understanding the lesson plan yet?
Going back to Egypt is not the answer for any of us. God has given us a chance to change our lives, our worship, and ourselves. Martin Luther King Jr once said…
“I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
And that is precisely how I feel. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord and His Promised Land! So start following the lesson plan, daydream and anticipate more from your life and your worship. Ask God what is His will for your life and then follow Him into the Promised Land!
Stay safe. Wash your hands and follow social distancing guidelines.
As always, God Bless You!
The Tent Maker Blog 