Bravado usually does not get you going in the right direction in a crisis. And, I don’t think it's very helpful in the time of COVID-19. Some leaders are saying, "We are the greatest. Fight the virus. Deploy the National Guard before it spreads. This is a time of war. Call out the military.  We’re going to lick it. We’ll be greater than ever on the other side, so, everyone please stop working." 

The NY Governor, Andrew Cuomo, recently reported the declining COVID-19 deaths saying, “The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Faith did not do that.”

I can’t help but think, “He who sits in heaven laughs.” (Ps. 2:4). Here is a principle to live by: overreacting sweeps you over the edge and into unbiblical thinking. What we need now is BIBLICAL thinking.

Let’s not forget fundamental truths about God and His creation. Plague spreads covertly. When someone is contagious, much of the time, they don’t know it and you don’t know it. For a time, it lurks and spreads in silence. God has ordered the biological world and He wired our bodies to catch and transmit disease and not even know it. This is God’s wisdom. This is God’s love. We are often exposed to disease, perhaps even every day. We do not know who is contagious unless they are manifesting symptoms.

Immunologists tell us that exposure to diseases is one way we build antibodies. To see how this works, look up the body’s defense mechanisms. The body’s first line of defense against invader attack is the “innate immunity system.” The ongoing defense is “adaptive” immunity. Innate immunity keeps you from getting sick, while adaptive immunity helps you to recover quickly. This is how your immune system fights disease. This is why it has been reported that children who grow up around dogs, and farm animals get sick 40% less than those who don’t. Their immune systems are stronger because of exposure. 

The Bible says, that pestilence, “walks in darkness” (Ps. 91:6). It spreads invisibly and silently. God helps us in two ways: 

First, God is wise in building body defenses and offenses.

Second, God is sovereign. He protects whom He desires to protect, and He infects those He desires to infect. This is why in Psalm 91, God instructs us, “do not be afraid.” Moses, who dictated the quarantine laws in the first place, makes it clear that God is the ultimate power to protect you from the pestilence. We are told that you are “under the shadow of His wings,” and that “He shall deliver you from… the perilous pestilence.” In other words - trust God. He delivers whom He delivers. He is the shield. He is the protector. Thousands may die, but God is looking out for you. Albert Barnes explains,

“[God] can prevent its coming upon you; or, he can save you from its ravages, while others are dying around you. This promise is not to be understood as absolute, or as meaning that no one who fears God will ever fall by the pestilence - for good people ‘do’ die at such times as well as bad people; but the idea is, that God ‘can’ preserve us at such a time and that, as a great law, he will be thus the protector of those who trust him.”

Barnes is explaining that God protects, but He does not guarantee immunity from disease.

My wife told me recently that she thought God might be laughing at all the extreme measures people are taking to avoid the virus. She said, “God must be thinking how ridiculous we all are, when He and He alone is sovereign over the silent movements of the virus.

So, don’t worry, take biblical precautions, asses the severity of your situation, and find peace in the knowledge that God is the ruler of the viruses. He gives it to whoever needs it – for their benefit and His glory.

Viruses are invisible. So how do you fight with an invisible enemy? Well, bravado usually doesn't get you going in the right direction in a crisis, and especially with an invisible enemy. And I don't think it's very helpful in the time of COVID-19. Some leaders are saying we're the greatest, fight the virus, deploy the National Guard before it spreads.

It's a time of war, call the military. We're going to lick it. We're the greatest country in the world and we'll be greater than ever when we get on the other side. So everybody, please stop working and go home. The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, recently reported that the declining COVID-19 deaths were down because we brought the number down.

God did not do that. Faith did not do that. That's exactly what he said. I can't help but think, he who sits in heaven laughs. That's Psalm 2 verse 4.

But here's a principle to live by. Overreacting sweeps you over the edge and into unbiblical thinking. What we need now is biblical thinking. And let's not forget fundamental truths about God and his creation. Plague spreads covertly.

When someone is contagious much of the time, they don't know it and you don't know it. For a time, it lurks and spreads in silence. God has ordered the biological world and He wired our bodies to catch and transmit disease to others and not even know it. This is God's wisdom. This is God's love.

We are often exposed to disease, perhaps every day. We don't know who is contagious unless they are manifesting symptoms. Immunologists tell us that exposure to diseases is one way we build antibodies. To see how this works, just look up the body's defense mechanisms. The body's first line of defense against insider attack is what is called the innate immunity system." The ongoing defense is called adaptive immunity.

Innate immunity keeps you from getting sick, but adaptive immunity is different. Adaptive immunity helps you to recover quickly. That's how your immune system fights disease. This is why it has been reported that children who grow up around dogs and farm animals get sick a lot less than those who don't. Their immune systems are stronger because of exposure.

The Bible says that pestilence, quote, walks in darkness, Psalm 91, verse six. It spreads invisibly and silently. God helps us through this in two ways. First, God is wise in building body defenses and offenses. Second, God is sovereign.

He protects whom He desires to protect and He infects those he desires to infect. This is why in Psalm 91, God instructs us, do not be afraid. Moses, who dictated the quarantine laws in the first place, makes it clear that God is the ultimate power who protects you from pestilence. We are told that you are, quote, under the shadow of his wings, unquote, and that, quote, he shall deliver you from the perilous pestilence. In other words, trust God.

He delivers whom He delivers. He is the shield. He is the protector. Thousands may die at your side, but God is looking out for you. Albert Barnes, the commentator, explains it like this.

God can prevent its coming upon you, or he can save you from its ravages while others are dying around you. This promise is not to be understood as absolute, as meaning that no one who fears God will ever fall by the pestilence, for good people do die at such times as well as bad people. But the idea is that God can preserve us at such a time, and as a great law, he will be thus the protector of those who trust him." Well, Barnes is just explaining that God protects, but he does not guarantee immunity from disease. So don't worry. Take biblical precautions, assess the severity of your situation, and find peace in the knowledge that God is the ruler of the viruses.

He gives it to whoever needs it for their benefit and for His glory. You