Stay strong. Stay connected.

“May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I want to encourage you to stay connected to God’s Word during this COVID-19 stay at home order. It is easy to become complacent or lazy. No one is expecting you to be anywhere or do anything.  We have a lot of distractions. And some of us can get down and then we spiral from there and tend to not feed ourselves. And when I say feed, I mean with God’s Word not actual food. Don’t allow yourself to become anemic or weak because you aren’t being fed.

We must make God our #1 priority.

He is who we need to draw our strength and hope from.  We can’t depend on food, social media, Netflix or other people. Those things will not satisfy. They will only give temporary satisfaction.

I challenge you to take this time to seek what God is speaking to you.

What is He telling you?

What is He encouraging you to do?

What is He wanting to accomplish through you?

Scripture says in Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that in all things (Even COVID-19 – especially COVID-19!) God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. For God knew His people in advance, He chose them to become like his Son.” 

So, He is taking our circumstances and using them for our good to be called to His purpose – which is to become more like his Son, Jesus.

He didn’t say to take away our trouble – which is what we want.

Our flesh wants all this to be over NOW.

But “His purpose” is what He is trying to accomplish through the trials.

Just a little later in the same chapter it says, “Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:35-39.

So, I want to encourage you to stay close to Him, to seek Him.  Some ways you can do that are:

1. Just get on your Bible App every day and read the verse of the day. Sometimes that prompts you to read more.
2. Make sure you are watching a church service online each week. Getting fed and worshiping Him. He desires our worship and communion with Him.
3. Do a daily devotional either from a book, Bible App or online.
4. Read scriptures – just pick a Proverb each day or a Psalm or both, or pick a book of the Bible and read from it. I love Ruth, Esther, any of the Gospels or Acts and I especially love Ephesians and Philippians.
5. Pick a Bible verse to memorize and take a few minutes to read and practice it each day. Hide His word in your heart.
6. Have a quiet time where you just reflect, pray or meditate. Take 5, 10 or 15 minutes to converse with God or just to listen to Him.
7. Find an online Bible Study or Book Club.
8. Join in on The Connection’s live FB or Zoom events – this helps you connect with other Christians.
9. Reach out to someone else and show them God’s love. Send a message, a card, or call them. Loving others is following one of God’s biggest commandments.

I hope you can find some ways to be fed by God’s word so that you can stay strong during these uncertain and strange times. We need to feed ourselves so we can sustain. I’ve been working out with my kids and taking long walks during all this quarantine. I need to fuel my body before I do any of that or I get weak and can’t perform or finish. It’s the same with the word of God. We need to fuel our spiritual tanks so we can face our every day and our battles and be a light for the others.

He has called us to be a “light” in this world. Let’s not let our lights get too dim that the world won’t see us shining through all this.

Ruthie Painter

Ruthie Painter lives in Waynesboro, PA ,  with her husband of 25 years.  She has 2 grown children that are currently attending college.  She is an active member of LCBC church and loves staying connected to other women through The Connection.