God's Exit Strategy

Guy Willcock
May 2, 2020
4 min read

Sadly, the COVID 19 virus has impacted the world on several levels, not just death and sickness but because of the necessity for lock down we have seen an increase in sin such as domestic violence, increased poverty and hardship for many.

Many of us, because of some of the above and for other reasons, eagerly await forthcoming announcements on what the exit strategy for lock down will be, this is not just in the UK but all over the world. This is an extremely challenging time for us all, Governments must be struggling with the battle between preserving life and of course protecting the emotional, mental and in some cases physical health of those in enforced lock down. This is before they even consider the pressure being put on them by the world regarding economic considerations of lock down.

As we wait and watch the news, we see both in the UK and abroad, scientific experts and doctors are consulted – which is rightly so. However to my disappointment we do not see on the broadcasts significant Godly Leaders consulted as to what they feel God would be saying to us, of course none of us have a direct hotline to God but God can speak to us and in particular through the Bible.

After all, in the Bible there are numerous examples of people in seemingly impossible situations either not knowing what to do next or with no natural way of escape, for example:

The Hebrew people trapped between an army of Chariots full of soldiers behind them and the red sea in front of them. (Exodus 14 - NB v31: God’s power displayed)
David with only a sling and five stones facing a Giant fully armed (1 Samuel 17 – NB v46: the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel)
Daniel in a den of Lions (Daniel 6 – NB V26: a law was made that God should be feared and revered by all people)
Jonah trapped in the belly of a great fish (Jonah 2-3- NB 3:8: A whole nation told by an earthly King to call urgently on God and give up their evil ways)
Lazarus dead in the tomb and Jesus absent (John 11 – NB V40: Jesus said to Lazarus’ Sisters, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Then we see Lazarus come out of the tomb!! (V44))
Paul and Silas in Prison (Acts 16 – NBv25-31: the chains for every prisoner came loose and the prison doors opened as Paul and Silas were singing God’s praises and the jailer and his family came to know God)
Jesus dead and buried in a tomb (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19) NB in Matthew 28, Mark16, Luke 24 and John 20 the risen Jesus who has defeated death is alive and appears to his disciples)

In each of these cases a key outcome was that God’s glory was displayed, whatever way God uses his people to intervene in exiting the COVID 19 crisis he would want his glory to be displayed.

This is not because God is egotistical and needy, before the creation of time Father, Spirit and Son were in perfect harmony i.e. One God in three persons needing for nothing. However, God wants his glory to be displayed because he wants people to turn to him and trust in him, his ways are the best ways and he loves people and wants the best for them.

In fact, his desire is that no one should perish but all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), that is God’s heart for people is that they turn from their own way and follow him. Then they can be cherished children of a Loving Heavenly Father. As his children we can be agents of change for this world and by praying as Jesus taught us for God’s Kingdom to come , i.e. God’s will on earth as in Heaven, the world will be transformed into a place where the big FIVE enemies of people in this world i.e. Sin (such as domestic violence), Sickness, Hardship, Poverty and Death are increasingly eradicated.

God’s will is that the knowledge of his glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14), what is his glory? To give a definitive answer to this is not possible.

However, the word for Glory comes from the Latin gloria, "fame, renown" and is used in the Bible to describe the evidence of his presence, for example as it says in Psalm 19:1………………

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

God glory was evidenced in all the seven examples above either by the demonstration of his miraculous power and/or by others coming to to know him as the one to follow and consequently giving their lives to him.

As God says twice in Isaiah 43:1-7 do not be afraid whatever comes against you (even a virus) because he created man to reflect his glory (v7).

The Coronavirus (COVID 19) may be an invisible killer but the invisible God wants his glory to be displayed, if you have given your life to him then be displaying his glory by carrying his presence into situations and proclaiming his goodness to others. If you don’t’ know him and want to know more so you can give your life to him and experience the benefit of his manifest presence i.e. fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11) then look at my blog entitled “I know him so well part 2” - https://www.guywillcock.co.uk/single-post/2017/10/20/I-Know-him-so-well---part-2.

Finally, the UK Government’s exit strategy includes seeing R (the reproductive rate for COVID 19) below 1. God’s exit strategy would be to see his R (reproductive rate of new Christians) to be as high as possible, like Jonah (Jonah 4) you may still be angry with God but cry out to him

in prayer he used an angry Jonah to save a nation or you may very very sadly have lost loved ones or friends to COVID 19 but even death cannot defeat those who follow Jesus Lazarus came from the tomb to demonstrate Jesus has power over all things including death.