9. Loneliness from Isolation
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One of the effects of stay-at-home mandates is the rise of suicide and problems with addiction. Even those who don’t suffer from severe depression struggle with maintaining mental health.
In some places, it’s against the executive orders to even go outside for a walk. What is a person to do? The Bible tells us.
1 Kings 19:4 records the suicidal depression Elijah suffered as a result of feeling isolated. In verse 6, God sent him food and water. Then in verses 12-16, God spoke to Elijah and gave him a job to do—a purpose for living.
Elijah had been looking for God in dramatic events. But instead, He came in a whisper. The message for Elijah was to get enough good food to sustain him and stop looking for God’s purpose in something big—go do the normal stuff he did in his job as a prophet.
The message to us is the same. Get up every morning, eat nutritious food, and look for God’s purpose in the small, everyday things.
Listen for the whisper.
“…And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12 (NLT)
10. Fear of the Unknown “New Normal” Future
What will the “new normal” look like? Life is certain to be irreparably different from what felt comfortable only a month ago.
Our unsettled feelings stem in part from the rapidity of the changes we’ve undergone. We fear that what we don’t know about the future could be worse. Revelation 21:5-7 tells us that God is in the process of making everything new.
His “new normal” will be unimaginably fantastic for believers. It is something to anticipate with joy rather than fear.
We can be calm and at ease about it because our relationship with God is that of a parent to his child—and we can trust our Heavenly Father to prepare the best for us. The transition might be uncomfortable, but the end result will be worth it.
“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.’” Revelation 21:5-7
Whatever may come, we have the assurance that God is with us and He will take care of us. Prayer opens up power from heaven and reveals earthly help we hadn’t seen or realized before.
The old song, “God Will Make a Way” is really true—even when there seems to be no way.
Kathryn Graves, author of Woven: Discovering Your Beautiful Tapestry of Confidence, Rest, and Focus, and Fashioned by God, holds a BA in Psychology, is a pastor’s wife and Bible teacher, and spent 15 years in the fashion industry. Kathryn is Mimi to four grandsons, and loves to play with color—including interior design, clothing, and painting with pastels. In addition to her website, find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Photo Credit: ©Pexels/Akil Mazumder