Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”” James 4:13-15
If you have been to church a few times in your life, then you have probably heard either this verse verbatim or at least the principle behind it. The lesson is that we can plan for our future but ultimately we don’t control it. Another verse you have probably heard is that there will be a day when Jesus returns and the world is changed in an instant. Your pastor might have even challenged you to get right with God so that when that day comes you are ready to face your Creator and assured you will spend eternity with Him in heaven. We have all heard this type of talk, but if we are honest, most of us really haven’t internalised these truths because it sounds so farfetched that the world would ever come to an end or that life as we know it would ever change. Looking back over the pages of history, there have been some hiccups, but life always returns to normal and it is usually only a select few countries that are involved in the calamity anyway. If a war comes, we could always flee to a safer country. If an earthquake or tsunami hits, we can escape to a stable country. If a dictator rules with an iron fist, we can move to another country as a refugee. Honestly, most of us feel if disaster hits, we can make a plan. We have control over our lives. The idea of a global change that affects all humanity seems more suited for the pages of a science fiction novel than the pages of the Bible. Until Corona…
