Faith In Crisis

“So do not fear, for I AM with you; do not be dismayed for I AM your God…” Isaiah 41.10

Scripture is telling us to not fear but to trust God in this crisis. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous.

Turn on the news, there’s fear, listen to family, there’s fear, can’t visit friends, there’s fear, no school, there’s fear, no shopping — there’s fear, crisis!

My mom and I were supposed to visit my uncle in SC but due to this pandemic, our trip was canceled. I was mad — I haven’t seen my uncle in over 2 years since he left Michigan. We were planning and saving for this trip for a while and then the world came to a screeching halt!

Trusting the Lord is an important part to remember when keeping the faith because God is all we have.

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered…” Proverbs 28.26

Trusting yourself will get you nowhere, but trusting God will bless you, heal you, and deliver you. That’s where I am now. My mom can’t heal me, my dad can’t deliver me, my Pastor can’t save me — only Jesus can.

Having hope will get us through this time.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5.10

Even though we are struggling with this pandemic, our hope and faith will bring sunshine to this stormy world.

My Testimony

As I was hoping and praying that none of my family members or loved ones got the virus, I received bad news from my dad — he had it!

I was scared and nervous that he would be sick and end up in the hospital.

He said he had lost a lot of weight and he had felt terrible but he was okay and recovered from it. I WAS SHOCKED and afraid! That’s when I knew this thing was real and anyone could get sick.

Thankfully, he is okay and doing much better. Now I think to myself who is next in my family to get sick? It’s scary.

I continue to pray and ask for God’s protection and greater faith every day during this crisis and beyond. When I pray, I feel peace and comfort because I know that He hears me.

Nathan is a sophomore at Sterling Heights H.S. He loves the game of basketball and his favorite player is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. On the weekend, he serves veterans at Volunteers of America in Detroit. His future goal is to become an architect.