FAITH and FOOLISHNESS- Pandemic Confusion

The recent pandemic divided Christendom into two camps- the pro and the anti-vaccines. It even amounted to heated-argument among the realm of the Evangelicals. While some are just keeping quite and are leaning for comfort and protection from God, others are crippled by fear and dread of the uncertainties that are brought about by the said plague. But what alarmed me the most are those believers who are still in the state of denial- those who still do not believe that COVID-19 is really existent. Their confidence is overflowing to the extent that they became fearless in going out to the crowd unprotected.

I agree that we should not be dominated by fear while we are facing this COVID-19 virus. But we, believers, should understand the thin line between FAITH and FOOLISHNESS.

I don't think it is faith when you point a gun on your head then you pull the trigger with full confidence that you will not be harmed by it because you believe that God is with you and that He will protect you. My friend, that is FOOLISHNESS.

God generally does not bypass common sense (there are a few exemptions though). Of course He could miraculously protect us from any harm but have you ever wondered why He still instructed the Israelites to isolate those sick with leprosy in the Old Testament time? He could've just let them stay with the crowd and just miraculously protect the rest of the Israelites from being infected, especially those who have faith in Him, right? But why did God still let them do the quarantine thing? Why did He still tell the lepers to shout, unclean, unclean when they are nearing a crowd? I think that was because God was teaching them to apply common sense. We are to do what we can do to protect ourselves and let God do what we cannot do.

Leviticus 13:45-46

And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean,unclean.

All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

Notice how God dealt with the Israelites when they fled from Egypt. He did not tell them to just face the danger head on. Instead, He told them to flee, to run away from danger. When did God intervene? The Divine intervention happened when the Israelites ran out of options- that was when they were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptians. There and then God divided the Read Sea through Moses. You see? God did what the Israelites could not do. But He let them do what they can do.

Exodus 14:10, 15, 21

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

In the New Testament, Timothy had an illness too. Paul did not just tell Timothy to just pray and believe that God will miraculously heal him. He told him instead to drink a little wine to cure it. Was Paul faithless then? Of course not. He was simply doing what his common sense is telling him. A little wine was a known fact in his time that it could heal a stomachache or even other infirmities. It is totally absurd to keep on asking God to heal your stomachache while you are just ignoring the very medicine that could do the job.

1 Timothy 5:23

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

In this pandemic, let us use the God-given common sense too. The first thing I did when the virus broke out was determine if there really is a COVID-19 virus and I'm telling you there is really a deadly virus. Infact, it has already taken the lives of many people whom I personally knew. Yes, it might be an engineered bioweapon created by the elite but still it is existent. And so let us do our part in protecting ourselves from it and let us ask God to give us wisdom in dealing with it. There are already proven ways that could protect us from the virus. Let us apply at least one and have faith that God will intervene and will use it to protect us.

I believe it is foolishness to face the virus unprotected especially when you go to where it is rampant. Do not tempt the Lord. He can reschedule your death appointment earlier than scheduled. Remember Hezekiah? The good thing about him though was that his death was rescheduled after 15 years.