Thank You God for victory, I offer praise, and thanksgiving to you, today.

The Bible verse for today at BibleGateway.Org is

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Phil 4:6-7.

Beloved, how are you doing? The country begins to open up but we really do not have a resolution to the Corona Virus. Vaccines are still in the future, how to treat is a guessing game. Do we continue to stay away from family, friends, and those we meet at the grocery store, post office, or on our streets, our neighbors?

Many of you know I am a nurse and I became one right when HIV and AIDS started. There were many unknowns and some knowns. It rocked our world. We had serial deaths then, however, it was mostly of men who were homosexuals.

This is the current information regarding HIV as of 2016.

• Worldwide, there were about 1.8 million new cases of HIV in 2016.
• Over 36 million people are living with HIV around the world, and in 2016, around 19.5 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
• An estimated 1 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2013, and an estimated 39 million people with AIDS have died worldwide since the epidemic began.
• Sub-Saharan Africa bears the biggest burden of HIV/AIDS, with almost 70% of the global total of new HIV infections for 2013. Other regions significantly affected by HIV/AIDS include Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

I cared for the HIV population and wrote my thesis on education for the licensed vocational nurse, if they were educated on HIV, would their attitudes improve in caring for the person suffering with HIV. In the home health agency that I worked for we had serial deaths. I would work five days a week giving symptom managing medications and as to this date there is not a cure. However, one can live a long time now with HIV. It is a chronic illness now and we don’t hear much about it.

So I like you question how long will we live with this new threat, Covid 19. Can it be eradicated?

When will we return to what is normal? Going to work, school, shopping without fear of exposure? Being able to hug a friend you see at church or on the street. What are going out in public without a face mask. All of this causes anxiety.

However, God tells us to not be anxious we read this in the NIV version of the above verse.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phil 4:6

The Psalmist ask us to search and see if there are any anxious ways,

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Psalm 139: 23.

The solution for anxiety is trust in God.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3: 5-6.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13, that whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do, do it all to the glory of God.

Additionally with giving God our anxious thoughts we are to submit to God and resist the devil, draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James, the brother of Jesus, gives us some sound advice in his book.

Lastly, beloved, I can not tell you what the future hold but I can tell you who holds the future. So as we venture back to our lives in view of this threat will you trust God and seek him? Will you read His word and not forget His precepts?

I am thankful for our nurses and doctors who are dealing with this threat in an intimate way, will you join me and pray for their safety.

My friend wrote a book on anxiety, if you are struggling with anxiety may I recommend Breaking the Grip on Anxiety How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michele Bengtson.

Lastly, may I pray for us.

Father God, so much of our world has been interrupted. We are living in a fear invoking time. You promise in Your Word that if we humble ourselves, You will heal our land. I am asking for healing of our land, I am asking for protection from this enemy. Just as You ended the plaques in the Old Testament will you end this threat. Keep my sweet beloved reader safe, will you meet her needs physically, spiritually, and financially. Thank You for Your protection and Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What anxious thoughts do you need to give to the Lord?