I first started reading about the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 when reports first started coming out of Wuhan, China. I could see from the way the media was reporting on it that it could easily gain momentum not only as a viral pandemic, but as an instrument of fear. As the days and weeks went on and the virus spread around the world, I felt like this was such a plan of the enemy to do what he does: steal, kill and destroy. But I felt Holy Spirit impress upon me just how much greater the plan of the LORD was in all of this. His power to redeem has no boundaries and knows no borders.

As I type, we live – along with more than half the global population – under some kind of “stay-at-home” order. But the LORD does not stop working, and neither do we. It is a unique season of strategically meshing wisdom and faith. The world has been grappling with an overarching question through tumultuous circumstances over the past months: “How do we respond?”

When the pandemic really began to take hold and seeing the tremendous fear that was being instilled across the globe, I felt so strongly that the world, history and the LORD Himself would be looking at our response as the Body of Christ. Today, in many parts of the globe, they’re still looking, but I know this is our time to shine.

We are blessed and honored to be part of two faith-filled communities: BURN 24-7 and YWAM. From the very beginning, even as BURN events were having to be cancelled and leaders told to “shelter-in-place,” the response was clear and – as far as I could see – unanimous: We stand in firm faith and unwavering hope. Just as many companies transitioned to an online or “virtual” model to keep running, so BURN 24-7 adapted to “virtual burns” where worshipers began streaming their worship sets to websites, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and more. The Internet itself is literally being filled with more praise to Jesus Christ than ever before – and he is being enthroned before the largest audience in the history of the planet!!

Our local YWAM community has had a similar response. In the midst of chaos, government mandates and even personal tragedy the message from leadership is the same: We stand in firm faith and unwavering hope. Much on our local YWAM base has come to a close in the midst of the craze circumstances that surround us, but the spirit of hope is being spread even farther through digital classrooms, virtual meetings and digital worship events. And the base is redoubling efforts to help our local community weather the pandemic.

It is encouraging to see so many churches and ministries shifting to online services and activities in the midst of this pandemic – we keep moving forward. The LORD is doing such a mighty work during this time, but our response really dictates how much we are able to reap from His activity in this season. Do we hang on the words of the news media and let fear paralyze us? Or do we operate in the great spirit of faith God has given us, acting in wisdom and grabbing hold of what He is doing in this time!