#CORONAVIRUS: FEAR NOT! BY DENNIS INYANG

Some days ago, my eight-year old daughter asked her mom, “what is coronavirus?” That was what everyone was talking about and she wanted to be part of the conversation. Indeed, nothing has enjoyed the attention of the media in the last few weeks and paralyzed the world with fear like coronavirus, an infection that started in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. So far, it has infected over 1000,000 people in 99 nations with over 3000 recorded deaths. The global economy has taken a hit and there are fears that it might plunge the world into another recession.

Unfortunately, medical science is yet to discover any vaccine to combat the infection. But we have been told by medical experts to wash our hands with soap many times a day, use hand sanitizers, avoid people with flu-like symptoms of coughing and sneezing, and maintain social distancing. Since coronavirus is transmitted from human to human, these are all good measures for our safety. The flip side of it, however, is that these experts also feed our fears. And fear itself can be a very fatal ailment.

MAKE GOD YOUR REFUGE
I recall a story of how Death went to God to take permission to kill a few people on earth. God denied him permission but after much pleading, the Almighty asked Death how many people he wanted to kill.
“Only fifty”, Death answered.
“You may kill fifty people but not one soul more”, God commanded.
With that, Death rushed off to wreck his havoc. Few days later, Angel Gabriel informed God that 500 people were dead on earth. God was angry and summoned Death immediately.
“Didn’t I give you permission to kill only fifty people?”, God thundered.
“I killed only fifty, Lord”, Death answered.
“But 500 people are reported dead!”
“I did not kill all those people”, Death explained. “I killed 50 people but Fear killed 450. When I killed someone, those who heard about it died from fear before I even got to them”.

Beloved, fear is a tool of the enemy. Don’t permit yourself to live in fear. Put your trust and confidence is God. Let Him be your refuge.

Psalm 46:1-2 NKJV
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea

Psalm 91:9-10 NKJV
Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling

THE COVENANT OF EXEMPTION
If you are a child of God, you are in covenant with God through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. That blood that was shed for you at Calvary was not only for the salvation of your soul from sin but also for your eternal protection and well being. You find many types and shadows of this truth in the Old Testament.

God instructed Israel to kill a lamb and put its blood on the lintel and door post of their homes. The angel of death went about Egypt that night killing all the firstborn in every household but passed over any household with the mark of the blood. The blood denied him access. That was a foreshadow of the blood of Jesus which denies Satan, coronavirus and death access into your life. By the blood of Jesus, you enjoy exemption from every evil.

When Joshua led Israel to destroy Jericho after the walls miraculously fell down flat, it was only the household of Rahab the harlot that was spared. It was not just because she hid the spies but because she followed the instruction she was given to put a scarlet thread through her window as a token. When the army saw the scarlet thread, they spared the home as instructed by their commander. That scarlet thread was symbolic of the blood of Jesus which guarantees our safety.

As a child of God, you are not permitted to suffer what others suffer. You are different. You enjoy a covenant of exemption by the blood of Jesus Christ.

LOOK TO JESUS AND LIVE
Coronavirus reminds me of a plague that broke out among the Jews as they journeyed through the wilderness. They had complained and murmured against Moses because they were dissatisfied with the food they were given. God was not pleased and allowed serpents to bite them in their camp. Many of them died. When they repented, God asked Moses to make a serpent of brass and lift it up on a pole. Those who took their eyes away from the serpents on the ground and looked up at the serpent on the pole were healed and did not die. That serpent, again, was a type of the Lord Jesus.

John 3:14 NKJV
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up

If you want to experience supernatural healing and divine intervention in any area of your life, you must take your eyes away from your infirmity and challenges, and put them on the Lord Jesus. When you focus on your problems, you give it power over you. When you deny it your attention, it dies. The same is true of the devil.

If you are not a medical doctor, don’t be an expert on coronavirus. Spending time to research on the disease can only feed your fears and that will not help you in any way. Spend time on God’s Word. Meditate on the scriptures that promise you divine protection. Confess the lordship of Jesus over your life and your family. Look to Jesus and live!

Let me conclude with some good news. First is that this coronavirus ravaging the world today will soon come to an end. We have sought the Lord in prayer and He will have mercy on us all. Secondly, deadly as the virus is, a great many have recovered from the infection. I was surprised to know that almost 60,000 cases have been successfully managed and the people have returned to their normal lives. That far outstrips the fatality rate. So, if you have been infected, there is hope for you. I pray for you today, that you shall not die but live to declare the works of the Lord and to fulfill your purpose on earth. Say 'Amen', if you believe!