Good Tuesday Morning to all. I hope everyone is doing well. Let me report, that we (San Antonio) have entered yet another phase into our #new normal. Yesterday, the mayor made it mandatory for residents to wear masks in public places, especially where it’s impossible to keep 6ft apart. This new mandate also limits essential businesses to allow in only 25% of their building’s capacity, and employers have to provide masks for their employees. Since Gov Abbot is ready to open the state, he ordered the cities to self-evaluate to see how and when to make it possible. So, as you can imagine, teams of experts are now working on a plan. We’ll see how that transpires.

Anyway, a couple of nights ago, I had an interesting phone conversation with a friend. She had been on my mind, so I thought I would give her a ring. So, her and husband were living in a little town about an hour’s drive from here, and turns out, they sold their home and moved into San Antonio. She lives, not too far from us. She and her husband attend CBC. We did some catchup and then conversation turned to this new normal. Her thoughts and I can assume that of her family and a few friends are that containment efforts have gone to unnecessary extremes. She says she doesn’t care for the mayor and the way he’s been dealing with this COVID-19 problem. And she is not happy that we now have to wear masks. They will not walk in fear, she said. So, yup, they were not following the Safe at Home guidelines. They’ve been visiting family back and forth. Her siblings continue to go over and visit. They had an Easter celebration at her son’s home. And like the rest of us, she is ready for things to get back to some kind of normal.

Nevertheless, they were doing well. Afterward, I thought about it. I wouldn’t expect any believer to walk in fear, over anything. Still, I would expect them to comply with mandated laws and such. We don’t have to agree with these new mandates, and they might be a bit extreme, but even believers should be complying as much as possible. In this instance, we have to accept that these mandates are more about protecting the other person than self.

So, I ask God, if it’s ok for Christian believers to disobey mandates, under emergency situations? Is it a matter of obeying God rather than man? As I said, believers should not walk in fear. But, are we to walk in disobedience to the laws of the land, even though we don’t agree with them?

So, we have Christians, (from what I gather on the Internet) that are facing many fears, and looking for answers to this pandemic. Pastors are preaching and teaching on how to face these fears, on how to stay calm in times of trouble and such. Encouraging and re-encouraging believers. And we have other Christians, like this woman that are not too concerned, and refuse to walk in fear and may not be following man made mandates. As believers, as a people that should be reading God’s word, these times should not be unprecedented, or uncertain, or confusing. Difficult times should not take believers by surprise. Granted, we may not always be prepared to face difficult times. Still, many ask why would God bring this on the world, on the U.S.?

I recall, in my younger days, the difficulty in finding time to read my Bible, or go to church or bible study. Then one day, I found myself unemployed. Trying to find full time work was impossible. Nobody would even look at my resume. It was ridiculous. I found it ironic that I could help other people find work, but not myself. I was screaming, discrimination. It took five years to realize what God had done. And again, one day, at the end of 2013, I was so frustrated. I decided to stop the job search and do my own thing. Well, I didn’t get to do my own thing. When I finally decided to stop the job search. I heard this soft voice say “You said you couldn’t find time to read My word. Now you have the time and this is what I want you to do.” It was the strangest, yet most liberating feeling I’d had in years. God went to extremes to get my attention.

Daniel 9:11-13 “Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.

As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.”

From experience, and reading His word, seems God is not opposed to going to extremes to get the attention of His people. How many times have we cried out to the Lord to get His attention. So, some people feel that leaders have gone to extremes to prevent the spread of this virus and people have made their opinions known, for or against. Well, seems there was only a couple of options to take, neither of which would get 100% agreement. 1) Give them their freedoms and let the people fend for themselves, or 2) take some of their freedoms and save as many as we can.

Is God trying to get your attention? What will it take for God to get your attention? 

Be blessed.