We are living in such an unusual time. Facemasks, home offices, and no sporting events are the new normal; and, while jokes about no toilet paper on the shelves and all kinds of funny jingles about the quarantine life abound, this really is a hard season for so many. If you aren’t personally struggling, chances are high that you know someone who is. Sickness, death, unemployment, and financial difficulties are all around. In the midst of it all though, even when you may not feel it or see it, God is good. He is working in ways far beyond what we can see, and we can trust Him. I appreciate so much our Smithfield Campus Pastor, Zac Ethridge, preaching on this very thing on Sunday. If you missed the message, you can watch it here.
I want to encourage you that even though so many places of business are closed and the church is unable to meet in person, the gospel continues to go forth! Just this week I heard an update on a secular law school that had done away with their baccalaureate service many years ago. We prayed during the 20 Days of Prayer that the service would be brought back this year and that the students would be able to hear a Christ-centered message of encouragement before they graduate. The school approved the service but with the current pandemic, the service was not able to take place. Since the service could not be held in person, the messages were instead emailed to every graduate. The Liberty member telling me about this answered prayer said, “The Lord has used this opportunity to reach more people than originally planned.”
“Even when we can’t see it, He’s working. Even when we can’t feel it, He’s working. He never stops, never stops, working.”
Praise God that He is good and He never stops working! We continue to see more people watching the services online than ever before, and many people saying “yes” to Jesus each week! I cannot wait until I can say with the Psalmist, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’” (Ps. 122:1), but until then, we rejoice in all the ways God is working (ways we can and cannot see) and we pray that He will continue to move mightily in our church, in Hampton Roads, in our country, and throughout the world. Please join me tonight, May 6, at 6:30 p.m. for a special online prayer service where we will spend time praying together for this very thing. God moves when His people pray, and we continue to pray that this crisis will lead to the greatest spiritual awakening of our lifetime.
Tammy and I love you and we are looking forward to both sharing with you this Sunday, as we celebrate Mother’s Day together!
