[Darris McNeely] The latest news on the coronavirus has resulted in the United States embargoing all air traffic from Europe and other economic measures as we watch so much taking place with the stock markets around the world going up and down, uncertainly, fear, especially, driving a lot of decisions, as the coronavirus continues to spread globally and reaching even to the NBA, where they have postponed their season for a while, basketball games with the NCAA tournament have also been altered, and frankly, American life and life in other parts of the world are beginning to be radically altered as a result of this coronavirus. Six weeks ago, no one would have ever thought we'd be here. We don't know where we'll be in another six weeks. But what I'd like to talk about here, in this Daily, is that all of us take a step back and be calm and not grow the fear, either in ourselves or among those that we talk to and work with in this environment at this time.

Whatever happens is, in many ways, beyond our control. This very tiny virus that was unleashed upon the world has spread, altering life and it shows that so much is out of our control. And frankly, it also shows that our governments are very limited in what they can do. Fortunately, the United States, we have the best healthcare in the world, the best labs and the best doctors, and a lot has been done to contain this virus, but it is continuing to grow in the United States. But panic and fear should not be what overcomes and overtakes us.

Those who are righteous, those who understand God's word, and frankly, those who understand God's plan and purpose need not be overly fearful regarding this. As we study the word of God, and as we place what is happening right now with coronavirus, end of the context of our current world and the abilities of this world, and also, into the larger context of Bible prophecy, and using that as a world view, helping us to understand and therefore, I think, tamp down fear that can be easily beseting all of us.

There's a scripture that I think helps us to understand this, in Luke Chapter 21 where Jesus Christ was talking about the events at the close of the age, where he'd been asked by his disciples, what would be the signs or your coming. And he did talk about fear in a very interesting way here. He said in verse 25, Luke Chapter 25, 21, that "There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring." Very apt description of what would be churning and the turmoil because of certain events of spiritual falsehoods being taught, of war, famine, and pestilence that Christ was talking about.

And then he goes on in verse 26 to say, "Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." I do want to say at this point that I don't think we are at this point in Christ's prophesies in terms of these major events that will, or prophesy to enroll upon the earth. But we are seeing a harbinger of these events to come with what we are seeing with the coronavirus right now. It has come up like a very quick storm upon the horizon, and it should teach us a lot about being able to trust in God, the limits of even human government and what we can do, and putting our faith in God, doing what we can, down to the very act of actually washing our hands, and taking the normal everyday precautions to keep from being infected and spreading a disease like the coronavirus. Certainly all of those things we should do that are within our power to do.

But again, Christ teaching here is not to get caught up in fear in this. Christ said in verse 34, "Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down. It shall come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape those things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

As I thought this through and written a great deal about it, as we've talked about in our BT Dailies, I think that what we should learn in terms of keeping this fear out of our own lives and having a inner confidence that God is in charge, that God's purpose and plan is going to be done, and that we need not be overcome with this fear is to recognize that with what Christ is describing here, people get fearful, and a lot of that fear stems from the unrighteousness, the sin that is in the world today.

Those who understand God's plan and purpose, those who fear God, and frankly, those who are striving to obey God need not be overcome with the base fear that these prophesies describe, and should be able then to navigate these rough and tumultuous times that we are in, and not be overcome by that fear. Put our trust in God, do what we can, but don't let fear rule our lives, and look up to God, the source that our salvation comes from.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.