“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Living through this pandemic, we’ve experienced our share of tribulation since the lockdowns began about a year ago. But the Lord didn’t leave you alone. The Bible tells us that as Christians, we received the Holy Spirit at our baptism (Acts 2:38,39). The Holy Spirit is also known as The Comforter (John 14:16-18, 26) and throughout this crisis, He has provided comfort in more ways than one.
Understanding this truth with the counsel of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 in mind, I want to share some of the ways the Lord comforted me during this pandemic in the hopes that they will comfort you.
In no particular order, the Lord comforted me through:
1. The Bible
The stories and promises of the Word are nothing short of a Godsend. I’ve got several Bible apps on my phone that send me a Verse of the Day at random and scheduled times and they’ve all been right on time every time, every day.
2. Superbook
Nearly every day for over half the pandemic this past year, I watched this show on YouTube. The show highlights the adventures of Chris, Joy, and Gizmo as they travel back in time to meet well-known Bible characters like, Moses, Jesus, and Paul.
Every show follows a simple formula. The kids face a real-world problem. They are taken back in time to meet a Bible character that dealt with a similar problem. After they learn the lesson, they return to their present and apply the lesson to their situation.
I don’t agree with everything the show depicts (Satan as a two-horned beast, for example), but I can definitely testify that this CBN-revamped show has been a blessing to me during the pandemic.
3. Zoom
I retained so many connections in my life because of Zoom, especially with my church. If they and other similar videochat services weren’t here, my connections would have dried and I would have suffered so much more mentally from all this isolation. Thank God for Zoom.
4. Reading Personal Testimonies
I used to read profusely when I was younger and before the pandemic, I only read when I wanted to learn something. But the Lord helped me and before long, I became a fan of books of people who came to the faith, kept the faith, and overcame difficult challenges. There’s something very empowering and encouraging about a powerful testimony. I encourage you to read a few yourself. We’ve got plenty to choose from, praise the Lord.
5. Working On This Website
I didn’t work on this website for a couple of years because I was impressed not to do so until I came back with an experience in the faith. After much prayer and desire, the Lord opened the way for me to resume working on it. From one week into the pandemic to now, so much time was spent in building content for and changing the layout of this site. It really invigorated my drive to share the gospel with others and, as you can see (if you’ve seen it over the past five years), it’s undergone some serious changes. I’m very grateful for having a way I can share the gospel with others from the comfort of my living room.
6. Prayer
Being able to talk to God in a time like this and getting answers from Him has done so much to keep my faith alive during this time. When you understand that as you connect with God through communing with Him, He imparts life and energy to you, you can really appreciate what prayer does. (in case you need some help with that, read this.) Without His spiritual life in me, I would have crumbled under the pressure of being on furlough for almost 75% of last year.
7. People
Throughout the pandemic, I felt a lot of things. Depression, discouragement, loneliness, faithlessness, etc. It was during those critical moments that God moved upon friends and family to contact me, some of whom I haven’t heard from in ages. You might think that’s something normal during a time like this, which I can admit that it is. But it was the timing that made the difference. The people in my life always contacted right when I was feeling depressed or discouraged. It was a phenomenon that repeatedly occurred at those specific times and I praise the Lord for that.
I’m sure there’s more ways that God comforted me over the past year, but these are a few of the ones that I remember. When I do, I praise the Lord for it. If you’re still struggling with anxiety, depression, or discouragement during this time, make a list of the ways that God has comforted you during this time. Ask Him to help you remember them all. Make a list and share it with others. You just don’t know how your testimony can help people overcome the mental hurdles they’ve been dealing with in the past year.
“…Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:10-11)
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