We can all agree these may be challenging and uncertain times. With the COVID-19 now declared a worldwide pandemic, people are scrambling, streets are empty. News, local and international, abound with messages that do not always bring comfort. Fake news and hopeless woes litter social media posts. I, myself, have been in more emergency meetings than I have ever been. Truly, these are challenging times, and yet, they are just as exciting in a way.

During one of our meetings, a coworker, Aleeza, spoke with me and said, “I am not in panic mode. Is that ok? Should I be panicking?” Naturally, I said of course not.

And why not? Why can we afford not to panic when the rest of the world seems to want to pull us into that mode? Why can we sit still, go about our lives in the midst of the crisis, although living in wisdom, keep going, full of hope and faith that things will be all well in the end?

The Bible says that as we pray, as we present our requests to God, “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 6:7) There is a peace that comes upon us even as we pray. We can be assured of the peace of God, and it is this peace which surpasses all understanding. This peace doesn’t make sense in the natural. When everyone is on a panic-mode, we can just chill and do what we need to do. Not because we don’t care, but because deep inside, we have the assurance that God is still in control. And He always will be.

The disciples of Jesus when faced with a storm at the Sea of Galilee, were calmed not just because the storm stopped, but because Jesus was with them. Jesus was in fact asleep as the storm was raging. A picture of peace and calm. As the disciples panicked, Jesus awoke and commanded the storm to stop. It is the presence of God that will bring us peace, because He is the Prince of Peace, and we can trust that He is also the same powerful God in every situation we face. And my prayer is that we would all come to know and experience the presence of God like never before. May His peace guard our hearts in this season of turmoil and uncertainty.

God bless us all.