Strong and Courageous….that is my focus for the year 2020. Instead of making a New Year’s Resolution I ask the LORD what verse I should focus on for the year. I felt led to the verse in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I bought a Christian Planner and it has a place called The Vision Board and it is here that I wrote down not only the Deuteronomy 31:6 verse but others that speaks to having courage. I also wrote down areas where I might need to be Strong and Courageous; in my faith, in the area of my mom’s failing health, balancing time among school/AHG/Alliance Women/AWANA, in my relationships with my husband and extended family. Familiar areas to us all really, but then comes the areas that could not have been anticipated….such as the Corona virus pandemic.
The numbers are staggering. In a span of a few months there are almost 3 million people diagnosed with the disease and almost 200,000 deaths worldwide as of today, April 25th 2020. Numbers on a page are cold and faceless; we must remember that behind each number is a life…a life that impacted countless others…a life that has gone on to spend eternity either in unity with Jesus or forever separated from Him. To try and put this number into perspective I like to equate it with something familiar. The death toll of 200,000 is equivalent to filling the University of Michigan football stadium twice! 
Is this a direct judgement from God? Is this just a happenstance? Is it the result of evil reckless governments? There can be endless speculation as to the cause but what I do know to be true is that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That my life is not my own, it has been bought with a price…the very blood of Christ and I am precious to Him and because I belong to Jesus, I do not fear what tomorrow may bring.
Not everyone has this peace and assurance of eternal security in Jesus. People are seeking answers, seeking understanding, seeking hope….what they are really seeking, though they may not realize it, is Jesus. Jesus is the answer, the Truth and the hope for a lost and literally dying world…and I, we, the Church can show them Jesus. To paraphrase from the book of Ester…are we, those called by His name for His purpose, not here for such a time as this?
So, let us now be strong and courageous to share the Truth in love to the Divine appointments that come our way.
The Wallace Adventure! 