Stop Being "Too Big for Your Britches"

In the last days preceding Christ’s return, The Book of Revelation tells us that God will judge the world with war, famine, pestilence, and wild animals.

I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals. Revelation 6:8 (NLT)

I recognize that the pestilence called the coronavirus may or may not be the fulfillment of the above verse. Even if its virulence is being grossly exaggerated, it has proved deadly for many, and lots of people believe it is a form of judgment that God has allowed to give us a “wake up” call.

In our arrogance, we imagine that we do not need God.

We have created all kinds of systems – government, financial, military, medical, social, etc. – in an attempt to organize and control things on our own, but God has demonstrated that he can quickly drive us to our knees.

We need God far more than we realize.

In the Old Testament, King David started getting “too big for his britches,” to use an old southern idiom. He ordered his servants to take a census of all the subjects in his kingdom; even though doing so was expressly forbidden by God. God never wanted his people to rely on their own strength, which is exactly what David was doing. When the census was complete, God sent a prophet to explain to David his options.

But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing.” ¹¹ The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message: ¹² “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’” ¹³ So Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me.” ¹⁴ “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” ¹⁵ So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. 2 Samuel 24:10-15 (NLT)

Defiance of God always brings judgment.

God mercifully allowed David a choice. He was allowed to pick his poison, so to speak. In his mind, pestilence was the most merciful of the three forms of judgment God threatened. I can see his point. Even though disease is terrible, it is better than the horrors of war or a slow torturous death from famine.

If this virus is a judgment, maybe we should be thankful that we have pestilence in the land rather than famine or war.

The pestilence in David’s day was stopped when the king offered a sacrifice. This is where the gospel comes to the forefront.

All of us deserve God’s judgment because all of us are sinners. (Romans 3:23)

Jesus came to die in our place so that all who put their trust and allegiance in him can be forgiven for their arrogant attempt to live without God (Romans 3:25), no matter what it has looked like for each of us as individuals. Maybe you murdered someone while going your own way. Others of us may have lived “respectably” and are admired by the entire community, but if we have not surrendered everything to the God who created, who sustains, and who redeemed us, we are still living in sinful rebellious independence. We can dress up a pig, but it is still a pig.

We all need forgiveness, and it is offered in the gospel.

Sooner or later the coronavirus will become yesterday’s news. If we do not properly respond to God during this crisis by putting our faith and allegiance in Christ, we will have missed a golden opportunity.

We should not waste this crisis. Let God do in us everything he desires.

Pray with Me

Jesus, you have my attention. I realize now that I have been trying to run my own life instead of relying on you. Today I choose to bow my knee to Jesus and acknowledge that he is the Over Ruler of my life. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sins. I rejoice in being forgiven, being added to God’s family, having eternal life, and in the indwelling Holy Spirit. Help me to live as your disciple from this day forward. Amen.

[Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11 (NLT)