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If you are anything like me, you have begun to question, “Lord, what do I do now?” Amidst all the chaos and panic we must find our peace. You can only find peace in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As I have taken some time to reflect and seek the Lord’s face, I see He wants one thing for His Children. He is calling us to intimacy with Him. It’s a unique call to find true intimacy with your Heavenly Father.

My wife and I are missionaries and everything we do depends on being with other people. Whether we are in the country we serve or at home, we are always around people. Certainly this is much a part of who we are and what we do. Now, because of COVID-19 the authorities have asked to self-isolate and stay at home. We love to visit people, preach in different churches, lay our hands on the sick, but they’ve asked us to stay at home.

This is hard to do when everything you do is done outside the home. My whole schedule has turned upside down (many others are facing this too). Churches that we would normally visit have cancelled their services. When normally we would travel, we stay home. There is definitely much work at home I need to catch up on, but it seems strange to not leave and when we do to see everything closed.

This time at home is a wake up call for us, you and every other Christian. God’s calling us into a greater intimacy with Him. He’s freeing up our schedules so we will seek Him. Instead of fear, we choose faith.

Please don’t misquote me. I’m not saying that God sent the plague. He would never do that. Rather, lets take advantage of this time we have. Let’s seek to have greater intimacy with Him.

1. Intimacy to hear God’s voice

Don’t be afraid of self-isolation, instead take it as a time to seek God’s face. Lately a Biblical story has been speaking to my heart and that’s the story of Elijah. Remember when he became depressed and wanted to die. Then God encouraged him, sent him an Angel and food that sustained for forty days. Meanwhile, after this great breakthrough he went to hide in a cave. Therefore, you could say that he self-isolated.

And there he went into a cave, and spent the night … the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts….” Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind… but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” I Kings 19:9-13

When Elijah recognized the voice of the Lord, he came out of the cave. While he was in isolation, he heard God’s voice. God’s calling us during this time to listen for His voice. Notice in verse 13 that it says when Elijah heard it, He knew the voice because he was familiar with it. He had heard it many times before.

2. Intimacy brings dreams & visions

In this time as we are to listen for His voice, we should also be ready to see dreams and visions. When we are intimate with God, He shows us things to come. I believe God’s wanting to take away many distractions so that we will seek His face more.

Do you remember the story of Daniel when he decided to set himself apart? It was then he received a powerful prophetic vision.

Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river…I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision… Daniel 10:4-7a

This is a time like no other where God is making a way and clearing our schedules so that we can seek His face. As a result, He will show us dreams and visions. This is to happen more in the last days (Acts 2:17). Therefore allow God to show you things to come. Take advantage of this time away from people.

3. Intimacy causes us to know Him more

When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians he was in prison. Therefore no one else was around. He didn’t have luxuries like Television, internet or even electricity for that matter. Therefore he had time on his hands where he sought God and wrote letters to the churches that we are blessed from. Meanwhile as he sought God and found intimacy with Him, he wrote these words:

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:8-11

God wants you to know Him more intimately than ever before. He wants you to know the power of His resurrection. These are powerful things that we should be looking for during this time.

Conclusion

Don’t allow a time like this pass you by. COVID-19 is nothing we need to be afraid of because God has given us many promises and He keeps them. He said “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26).

Angels encamp around us. Therefore, we have protection on every side. “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them” (Psalms 34:7). Therefore God is on your side. Learn to be intimate with Him. Listen for His voice so that you can be receptive to dreams and visions. This is a time where the church needs to arise!

Don’t hide in a cave but rather prepare you ears. You’re not in prison, but your desire should be to know Him more. Intimacy with Him is what God’s calling us to.

If you are wanting to learn more about seeking God and develop more intimacy with Him, please read my blog Meet with God – Building A Meeting Place for The Lord.

I also found another great article that talk about how the Evangelical Christians responded to the Spanish flu (Influenza) in 1919-1920. To read that blog, click here.

Steven Stoffelsen

Author of Trusting God’s Timing