Why am I spared from this deadly pandemic?

Right from December 2019, we have seen the SARS Covid-19 razing through the global population as a pandemic. Nothing of this sort has been seen in the last one hundred years. Millions (3.5m+) from almost every country have died of the Corona Virus, the microbe that causes this primarily respiratory disease. Even a significant number of believers and servants of God have passed away. After the invasion of this second wave in India, every Indian can relate to at least one of their families or friends or neighbors who have lost one or more of their loved ones.

Now that brings me to a million-dollar question. Why am I spared from this pandemic? What is the reason I have not been swept away like others by this Covid-19? Why am I still breathing normally when millions are gasping for breath? Some who are reading this might be survivors of this onslaught and are wondering, “Why has God let me live?”

I am presenting a few points to ponder that might give us a fair-enough idea of why we are not dead yet!

If you have not yet believed in the Salvation that Jesus provides:

There were some present at that very time who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5.

You are alive not because of your good deeds (philanthropic donations to public cause, medical research, or animal welfare, contribution to build temples / mosques / churches, taking care of orphans or aged people etc) that you have done to compensate for the evil deeds in your life. It is not because of your karma. Nor is it because you are somebody special; your caste, your social status, your education or your family reputation does not count here. Certainly not because you are morally better than others. Do you know you cannot be a better sinner?

If you have never repented of your sins, believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness and pleaded to God to accept you as His own, know that God in His mercy has given you some more time so that you can turn to Him. You are alive because God does not want you to perish in your sins and end up in hell; instead, He wants you back to Himself. Do not waste valuable time until it is too late, when you cannot decide because you are out of your senses or in your death bed. Accept God’s verdict that you deserve death for your sins; believe that Jesus has shed His blood in your place bearing the punishment; ask God earnestly to forgive your sins and accept you as His child; put an end to your old life; submit to Him and ask Him to reveal His life through you.

If you are a born-again believer continuously trusting in the goodness of God:

The purpose of God in sending His Son was that He would shed His precious blood and die for the sin for the whole world. For this, He would have to go to the cross to fulfill every prophecy that was foretold in the Scriptures. Not only was there a predetermined manner but there was also a preordained time for His death. Until this time, none could lay a finger on Him. There were at least three attempts to murder Jesus. Luke 4:28-30; John 8:59; John 10:39; . None of these could bring about an untimely death to Him; He did not run away from them; He did not hide himself; He was not afraid of them; on the contrary, He dared even King Herod. -Luke 13:32. They just could not override God’s purpose.

You are alive because God has a purpose for your life; this purpose is encompassed in the overall purpose of God that He has for His children: God wants to bring many sons to His glorious presence – everyone who have dedicated themselves to attain to the full stature of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Sons include men and women who are considered equal without gender discrimination). This purpose He has for you as an individual is still unfinished in your life; however, every move He makes in your life is taking you one step ahead in His purpose.

Present yourself as a living sacrifice to God; abide in Him so that you can draw life from Him to grow and bring forth much fruit; ask God the Holy Spirit to continuously work in you so that He can bring out the nature of Christ from within you; obey His word to be transformed from glory to glory; submit to Him so that you can grow unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

If you are a servant of God committed to the expansion of His Kingdom:

God had a purpose in calling Saul to His ministry. He would be unto Him His chosen vessel, ‘to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel’. -Acts 9:15. Paul started his ministry among his own people, the earthly Israelites. However, when the Jews kept persecuting him everywhere he went and failed to believe in the gospel, he decided, at one point, that he would focus his ministry among the gentiles. He went far and wide to spread the gospel; he visited a few places twice or even more as he would be led by God.

Everywhere Paul went, he faced perils; 2 Cor 11:22-33. King Aretas of Syria sent his governor to arrest Paul in Damascus; he was left to die at the city gates after being stoned at Lystra; he along with Silas escaped from death in the dungeon at Philippi; he was sent safely away from Ephesus where he could have been killed by the frenzy crowd; he was saved from the ‘Euroclydon’ induced shipwreck at the Mediterranean sea; there were several other instances that would have brought an end to Paul’s life here on earth. However, he was saved from every one of these perils because God’s purpose in Paul’s life was not over yet; Though he had witnessed to Governors / Proconsuls, and to King Agrippa already, he still had to ‘bear witness also at Rome’ -Acts 23;11. Finally, he landed at Rome. Even there he kept ‘preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ.”-Acts 28:30 for at least two years. Secular history says that he was beheaded at the command of Emperor Nero. That was God's appointed time.

You are alive because, the Savior might want you to be a witness to one or more of those who are His Chosen ones but who have not heard His gospel yet; The Lord might want you to restore a believer who is in the brink of losing His faith in Him; God might want you to find one of His last lost sheep, one of the last stones in His Building, one of the last cells / members in His Body; The Redeemer is waiting for one of the last Jews or the last Gentiles who have to come into His Church - you might have to each them; Christ might want to work through you to edify the Church so that He can remove one of the last spots or blemishes in Her. Remember, all of us are called to be workers in His farm. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.. -1 Thes 5:11. Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, ... -1 Thes 5:14.

Commit your life to Him and submit to His will everyday so that He can fulfill all that He has purposed in your life. The Lord is looking for your availability, not your ability! If you are seeking for an opportunity to be of use to Him, opportunity will knock at your door. The Lord knows who are His; He will make possible this divine encounter.

If you have been slack and have ignored the gracious work of God in your life:

And He told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”- Luke 13:1-9.

You could have been born again a long time ago; you have been trying your best to please God with your own righteous works; you would have read through your Bible umpteen times; you would have attended Church gatherings without fail; you could have fasted many days; you might have preached many sermons from the pulpit; you could have performed many miracles; you could have prophesied in His name. Sadly, you have been only a very religious Christian full of dead works; You have not been showing forth the life of Christ putting out the fruit of the Spirit for others’ benefit. You are only occupying space and wasting the God-provided resources around you to the detriment of others through your careless carnal life.

You are alive because the Lord is giving you another chance, my dear brother / sister; He is long-suffering towards you; He is extending His gracious hand towards you; He wants to forgive you and continue to sanctify you; He desires that you remain in constant communion with Him; He wishes that you produce much fruit.

Beware! You might be pulled out any time. Every branch in me that bears not fruit He takes away. -John 15:2. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. -John 15:6.

Repent of your backsliding; ask the Lord to cleanse you of your dead works; return to Him humbling yourself; plead with Him to receive you back to Himself; leave behind your sinful and carnal activities; continue presenting yourself as a living sacrifice so that the life of Christ is exhibited in you for others to benefit.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. -Lam 3:22. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; -Dan 9:9.

God has given us common sense to take all safety measures – follow all government-recommended protocols and adopt all SOPs like social distancing, wearing a mask, using a sanitizer to disinfect, washing your hands often, and staying at home during this lockdown. However, remember that all these measures will contribute little to your safety. Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. -Ps 127:1. Staying in the will, purpose, and plan of God is the safest place you can be. Stay in! Stay safe!

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power. -Augustus M Toplady