It is natural, when confronted with hardship, whether it be personal, national, even global, to wonder where the hand of God is in the hardship. When that hardship hits us or those whom we love, we often fall into fear that somehow this means God is angry or unhappy with us. When it hits those whom we hate, we often fall into an ungodly joy that somehow this means God is angry or unhappy with our enemies.
This much we know- God is sovereign over all things. If it happens, He ordained it to happen. God tells us just this in -I am the Lord, and there is no other;
There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things’ (verses 5-7).
It is a short, but treacherous step to go from affirming God brings something to pass, however, to claiming to know why He brings something to pass. God ordained that the man born blind in would be born blind. But Jesus explicitly denies that God ordained this because of the sin of the man or his parents. Rather He ordained it that Jesus might manifest the glorious truth that He is the light of the world. God’s ways are not our ways. We must not presume to know His ways.
Could God be judging people or nations with the coronavirus? Of course He could. He is God, and He does indeed send judgment. He might, however, have a different goal in mind. Perhaps He has sent the virus to demonstrate to the watching world the compassion of His people. There may be a day when Christians are not just the first ones to respond, but are the only ones to respond. And such would glorify Christ.
Of course God is not inefficient. He is not consigned to pursuing one goal only. He could be judging people and nations with the virus. He could be showing believers and unbelievers alike that their false god, the state, is weak and anemic and can’t protect them. He could be reminding us all that death is coming for us all, and that what follows can be far worse. He could be providing opportunity for believers to reflect the glory of Christ in serving those in danger. He could be teaching His saints, if the virus isn’t as bad as some are making it out to be, one more lesson in how not to get caught up in media driven hype, or, if it is worse than it is being made out to be, He could be teaching His saints to not have our heads in the sand.
The glory of God’s Word is that we don’t have to read the tea leaves of current events to discern our calling. It, the Bible, equips us for every good work, including the good work of discerning our calling. Which means we can turn off the news and still know just what we are supposed to do- disciple the nations, bring all things under the subjection of Christ, visit widows and orphans in their trouble, rejoice and give thanks, to rest in His victory, to store up treasures in heaven. If we do these things, and the virus disappears, we will continue to do these things. If we do these things and coronavirus kills us all, we will die as faithful soldiers. Be of good cheer. He has already overcome the world.