Warning Signs

I was a political science major in college and worked under the Ronald Reagan administration in Washington serving with the FBI. After several years there I foresook it all to lay my life down and follow the call of Jesus Christ down a different path.

With both political science and then Biblical studies, I have been exposed to much history and have been struck over and over by the fact that every prosperous nation in known civilization has lasted only 250 to 300 years before they fell flat. What triggered their collapse? First and foremost their economy crashed, and then everything else fell on top of it.

We celebrate 294 years as a nation on July 4th this year and again I am reminded of how history repeats itself. I have often felt it was coming in my lifetime and have shared many times with friends that we were about to be faced with the greatest economic failure that our nation has ever known. I saw it in the pages of history but it was beyond my wildest imagination that it would be caused by such a tiny thing as a virus. No place is safe. This invisible virus has such capacity that it is consuming the entire world.

Are you ready for life as we have known it to change forever? Are you weighing your life and the lives of those you love seriously?

Are you ready for tomorrow, or more importantly, are you ready for today? What are your thoughts of the current crisis that we face? I have heard everything from this is so political to this is fake news to this situation is just being overly blown out of proportion!!

Let me share with you my personal perspective…my ten cents worth…for you to chew on and make a decision. Believe it or not, you must make a decision. For by not taking action, you have already made a decision and you must be ready for the consequences of that inert decision.

I will be 70 years old this May if I can survive this outbreak. I am considered a very high risk with my age, having MS, congestive heart failure and diabetes. Am I scared and stressed out or planning and preparing?

I have neither fear nor anxiety for tomorrow for I realize nothing is going to happen to me that is not sent by my Father God. He ordains my paths and all that He sendeth is by His mercies.

But does this mean I should go on in my life as if nothing is happening in the world? No, it does not.

What is my responsibility in this time? Am I planning and preparing? I am. With prayers I seek His guidance as what I should do, how I should do it and when.

Sue Thomas, FBI, has placed herself under house arrest for protection. I am grateful for the loving care of Deborah, my registered nurse, as we have made a well thought-out plan that Deb only leaves the house once a week for banking, post office or groceries at the earliest morning hour before society starts wandering out. We have face masks sewn by Deb’s sister and are taking every protective precaution.

Personally we have decided to safe guard my fragile health at this time. By taking action I pray I am also playing a vital part in safe guarding other lives.

But what else can I do now about the life changing issues regarding income and finances?

I have been an international public speaker for the last 30 years speaking in every single state of this country except Utah and around the world in Japan, India, Germany, Holland, etc. My audiences have varied between 25 to 45,000. I am now faced with no audience at all as we are not permitted to gather together during this crisis. I had four speaking events scheduled for April, which were cancelled and today I am now under “house arrest”. Word went out today that the “Stay At Home” guidelines by our federal government has been extended until April 30th. In Ohio, our governor has mandated it as an order. I am faced with the reality of an indefinite future of no audiences and no income. Now, how will I face tomorrow?

This is where my faith is tested and tried to see if it will weather the storm. This is where I must raise my voice and truly sing with the heart those old words, “Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow”. I know that me and my house, we will serve the Lord, even in these uncertain times. We must. As Christians we have been called to be always abounding in the work of the Lord.

I know that the blood of Jesus will cover my door frame even as the blood of the lamb covered the doorframe of God’s people so long ago when they were in the land of Egypt. This world is our Egypt, and these times are a great reminder for us to remember that this world is not our home.

I know without a doubt that as long as I have breath on this earth He will meet all of my needs.

Each day and each moment that we have breath we have decisions to make. The most crucial one is deciding to give our life totally over to God and recieving His Son, Christ Jesus as sovereign ruler of our life in every thought, word, and action. This is not just one moment in time, but a state of being. It is for every minute of every day.

Every situation that we face in these next days, weeks, months, this decision marks the difference between life and death. It is the distinction between abundant life or simply existing in a survival mode.

Let’s make it practical. Did you ever think you couldn’t find toilet paper when you needed it? What about not getting that weekly pay check? The government is promising a stimulus check for every American, but how far will it actually stretch into the uncertainty of the unknown?

I believe the scripture from Proverbs 22.3 is a great reminder for us to be prudent in these days. The Word of God has much wisdom for us to guide us in our decisions.

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precaution, but the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

What would happen if every person took this verse to heart?

This coronavirus is not a political ploy, it’s not fake news or China’s or Trump’s fault. This is the hand of God that has come down heavily upon the world. It’s time to make a decision, a decision to start preparing, preparing how you will live. “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Will you have the blood of Christ cover the entryway of your home?

Will you start acting as if you believe that the world as we have known it is temporal and has drastically changed? Will you make the decision that you must also change?

“We rest in Thee, our Shield and our Defender,
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the Praise.
We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
We rest on Thee and in The Name we go.” Edith Cherry

No, we could never have dreamed that we would be struck so hard by a lowly virus but we may have only caught a glimpse of what is yet to come. Will we survive the virus only to be brought to material poverty and such financial ruin that it will bring forth the collapse of our society? What if?

Regardless of what happens in this world we have this confidence, that “Whatever my lot Thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.” Horatio Spafford

Absolutely everything that comes from God will be sustained by God because of His love and mercies. The world as we have known and lived up to this point is gone. Now is the time for you to make many decisions about the future, but the very first concern should be your relationship with God and with His Son, Christ Jesus.

I can not wish you good luck for the days ahead. Luck accomplishes nothing, does nothing, is merely an empty word. But I do ask God to bless you, each and every one and you decide to follow Him and His Word.

It’s time to make a decision. Do not wait any longer.

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives!” Gaither

Sue Thomas, FBI
Firm Believer In Christ