COVID 19 ENCOURAGEMENT EPISODE 03

Hi, this is Chris Benjamin, the director for the Salvation Army Soundcast. We wanted to take this opportunity to share some additional messages of encouragement with you from some of our hosts from shows like Wonderful Words of Life and Heartbeat. We just pray that these are an extra blessing to you.

If they are, please share them with a friend. God bless. Hey everybody, this is Cheryl Gillum, one of the co-hosts for Wonderful Words of Life and we just want to take this time to give you a little bit more encouragement about what the times that we're going through and how everything is kind of panning out. I'm currently at work right now just understanding social distancing and practicing it.

All of our employees are out right now working from home, but it's quiet in here. It's real different. In some ways that can be disconcerting, but the truth of the matter is we want to just come into this time with a positive outlook. As believers, as children of God, he just exhorts us in his word over and over again to not fear and to rejoice in him. We know that ultimately God is in control in this circumstance. He wasn't surprised by what is taking place. He certainly did not do this to us, but I do believe that God can work the good through it and he wants us as his children just to continually keep our eyes on him, to look to him. It's funny.

I think there are ways that we can not make light of the situation, but certainly not be downcast or downhearted about things. I stayed home yesterday to be with my son who is doing online learning with his school. I thought I was going to be a support to him, but the truth of the matter is I think I was a little bit of a pain to him in regards to the fact that he was trying to take tests and do a project that he had online.

He had to do a presentation for his class. The dog was barking. There were people outside working on our house banging.

In the testing that he takes, every noise kind of puts a red flag out there like someone's talking or he's cheating. Today I decided just to give him a little bit of a break and come in here. Just kind of giving grace, right? Understanding that we're all taking this in stride and needing room for grace. I did want to just kind of give you a little bit of encouragement from God's word if that's okay with you and hopefully it will be helpful to you.

I do think of myself as a very positive thinker. I try to always think what is God trying to teach us? What is God trying to teach me? What is it that he's wanting us to learn? I think really he's just teaching us to lean into him, to rejoice in him, to allow this time to be a time of rest, to be a time where we seek his face and understand that he's got us.

Much like our kids, they don't worry necessarily about where food is coming from. They don't worry because we're protecting them and in the same way God does that for us. And in God's word, in Philippians 4, beginning with verses 4 and going through verse 9, Paul exhorts the believers in Philippi and he says this to them. He says, rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again, rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Amen? He's near.

He's here with us. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus. And then he goes on to say finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me put into practice and the God of peace will be with you. I love those verses and I love the fact that especially at the end, you know, it's our choice.

It's our choice to think about the things that are lovely and pure and excellent, the things that are good. Our God is good. He hasn't left us. He hasn't forsaken us.

And so when we put our mind and our thoughts on him, he promises us that his peace will be with us. And so I just want to encourage you today, maybe fear has gripped your heart. Maybe you feel panicky.

Maybe you just feel like things are out of control. None of our schedules are normal and, you know, it's a little sad for me to be here without our employees, but the truth of the matter is God is still on the throne. God still loves us. He is in control and he's not going to let us slip or fall. He doesn't sleep.

He doesn't slumber. And so as long as we ground ourselves in him, as long as we put our trust in him and our faith in him, know that he won't let you slip. He loves you. We love you. Thanks for taking time to listen to this and we just pray God's blessings upon you during this time. Know we're praying for you. Bye bye.