So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
A lot has changed about our lives over the past months. Now, we are living with uncertainty, sometimes fear, and our lives and society are being impacted in very unusual ways. You probably have asked yourself or someone else questions about God in relation to this crisis.
As we read the Scriptures, we read about events in which God revealed himself to humans—the burning bush; the exodus; Jesus’ miracles, such as turning water into wine, healing of the blind man, the multiplication of bread; the expansion of Christianity during the early church and many more.
Have we as a society lost the sense of awe and wonder at the events in our lives? One of the advantages of living in quarantine is we have time to reflect on life and God. As followers of Christ, we still have that sense of awe and wonder when it comes to God’s workings in the transformation of people’s lives.
God at work in crisis
We, the Missions Team of Texas Baptists, are very aware of how God is at work in missions and ministries during times of crisis. We hear and see God at work in churches serving their communities, practicing hospitality with immigrants, caring for the sick and leading people to faith in Christ during the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the beginning of 2020, the Missions Team has seen 1,941 people come to faith in Christ, 274 baptisms, 18 new church starts and over 105,000 people who have been served and cared for in the name of Christ.
So, how do we know God during this crisis? We stand with a sense of wonder, totally amazed at how God is at work during the coronavirus pandemic. We, as Texas Baptists, are proclaiming the gospel and serving together in the name of Christ even in the midst of fear and uncertainty of COVID-19.
We are so appreciative of those churches who have put together hygiene kits for immigrants served through River Ministry, provided food and school supplies for families, as well as those supporting us in prayer and through giving to missions offerings such as the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions, the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering and the Texas Baptists’ Cooperative Program.
We are so thankful to the Lord for the opportunity and privilege of serving him. It is our hope and prayer that more people will put their trust in Christ and experience the amazing power and love of God.
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
Josue Valerio is the director of Texas Baptists’ Missions Team. Texas Baptists and the Baptist Standard are independently related partners.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.