Reading the Signs of the Times: Pestilence

We are on a road trip. Learning to read the signs of the times as Jesus instructed his followers to do. Our next stop is in Luke 21 - pestilences are another sign of his coming return. Think for a moment about Covid. How the control of a few was able to use a pestilence to shut down the entire globe. The enemy has wreaked havoc on hearts, minds, and bodies. Pestilences have swept through many times throughout history and will continue to do so. Always with the intent to instill fear and destroy lives. Think about it. Polio. Swine flu. Covid. Monkeypox. We should not be surprised when we see more come through. And we should remain alert. Always empowered by the Holy Spirit. And always looking through the lenses of God’s Word to discern what is going on under the surface of what we see with the naked eye. How do we respond? God gives us specific tools in his Word to use in times of pestilence. Don’t you find it incredible that when God put certain verses in his Word, he did so knowing we would be presented with temptations to fear pestilences and diseases? Psalm 91 is a weapon we can use to fight fear of pestilence. In fact, when my daughter Bethany was younger, we would use this chapter to wage war against fear in her life. If you or someone you know fears pestilences, remember that God is your Healer and Protector. Believe that “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence…You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday" (Psalm 91:3, 5-6). James 4:7 says we must resist the devil’s tactics and he will flee. Resist the temptation to fear and choose faith instead. It’s a promise. Believe it.