Welcome to the Learning Layman
Our journey together will take us from one end of the Bible to the other. Wise individuals know that the Bible provides lessons on every conceivable subject and is the Word of God handed down to us to use in order to glorify Him and help us to determine how to stay in the center of God’s will.
Please feel free to comment on my posts—the more we learn from each other, the better off we will all be! Some of the most fun I have ever had has been teaching Sunday School with fellow adult learners who brought their insights to the discussion and blessed us all.
I am not a theologian, do not play one on TV, and claim no special knowledge. I have enjoyed learning from many faith traditions over my life, and look forward to learning more!
My first effort will be to look at the Co-Vid situation through the lens of my life verse,
James 1:2: Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.
I think it is fair to say that very few of us will look back on the year 2020 with fondness or a special place in our hearts because of the trials presented by Co-Vid 19. To say the least, the death and economic dislocation this virus has caused has been a serious challenge to us all.
According to James, we are still charged with finding the joy in the midst of these trials. The Bible was written for times such as these, and James is challenging us to dig deep in our faith to find the joy.
There are days when it is easy to find the joy, others when it is a challenge, and still others when finding the joy seems downright impossible. Those are times—such as this—when you really have to dig deep to find the joy God provides each of us. He places obstacles in our path to put us to the test, but always equips to meet those challenges.
The challenges might be financial, they might be medical, they might involve family members going through hard times, they might be difficulties with mental health—or they might be a combination of all of these challenges.
Through it all, God is merciful and gracious—and James is emphatic that we consider it ALL joy—not a little bit, not a lot—but ALL.
My prayer for you today is that you will always be able to find the joy that God gives us through the power of prayer, through the power of corporate worship that has been interrupted for so many of us in so many places, through the power of the Holy Spirit as He works in your life, and through the assurance of eternal life from the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. I also pray that you experience the power of comfort provided through the peace that passes beyond human understanding.
For me, there is joy in the fact that the millions of Americans who were supposed to have died as a result of this virus have not. While we mourn for those who have died from this disease, we also find joy through the heroes who have treated the sick 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since this virus overtook us. Many of us have also found joy in rediscovering the connections with our loved ones that enforced isolation has brought. Some of us have spent more time with extended family members during this virus than we have ever enjoyed before.
My final prayer for you is this: may the next steps on your journey be less challenging than the last 6 months. And may you always be on the lookout for the joy in your life that is the reward for meeting the challenges that life provides us on a daily basis.
God bless you!
Louis
