The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7 (NIV)

I'm guilty, I admit it. I'm one of those people who said, “Oh, they're blowin' this coronavirus stuff all outta proportion. I don't even drink that brand!” Or, “I'm more worried about gettin' the flu than I am in gettin' the coronavirus!” Or, “All they're tryin' to do is make Trump look bad!” While all of these statements are true, there's one thing that I failed to consider: People will panic about what they don't understand.

They say that, in any crisis, 10% of the people will freeze, 80% will panic, and 10% will keep their heads and remain calm. They also say that the majority of that latter 10% are people of faith.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ … Romans 5:1(NIV)

In case you haven't noticed, we are living through an historical event. The world hasn't experienced anything like the COVID-19 pandemic—yes, it is a pandemic—in a century. Not since the so-called Spanish Flu of 1918 have people been exposed to a virus on such a scale. That's the reason for all the—I prefer to call it—hype, all the hype buying, the stock market's plunge, and-so-on, an-so-on. This too shall pass.

The coronavirus is a very serious event. That's why we must take very serious precautions. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has “recommended” that people not gather in groups of more than fifty for the next few weeks. The White House prefers no assemblies of more than ten. Me? I say, Get outta my house! The idea being that, although the mortality rate is (relatively) very low, we don't allow this contagion to spread any further than is humanly possible.

For this reason … Ironmen Ministries will be suspending the Ironmen Friday morning Prayer Breakfast for the next two weeks, March 20^th and 27^th. I recommend that you utilize the time that you would have normally spent at the breakfast by augmenting your “quiet time”. Let's not let this attack on rationality interfere with the time that we need to spend with the Lord. Also, we should be checking-up on one another by phone, email, text, etc. By-the-way, nobody ever said that you can't or shouldn't gather in small groups at your homes during this time. Christian fellowship is essential, especially now.

Wherever two or more are gathered in His name …

Today is the day. Now is the time. The battle is on!

G. J. Fortier is a member of Ironmen Ministries and First Baptist Church, Centerville, GA. Look for his novels on Amazon on Kindle and paperback. Or visit his website at www.GerardFortier.com