From the beginning, the numbers surrounding this coronavirus have been unreliable. People doubted the accuracy of the case numbers coming out of China. They questioned some of the data from Europe. And now, many people are skeptical about the numbers reported by many states in the U.S. It seems as if there are states who have been reporting COVID-19 deaths as pneumonia deaths. An analysis of states, especially in the South, show that many of them have had ten-times the number of reported pneumonia deaths as they usually do.
It is not clear whether attributing these deaths to pneumonia instead of COVID-19 was intentional. But, regardless of the possible motivation, the impact of the virus in these states has not been accurately understood. In order for us to have a clear picture of anything, we need to have a clear understanding of what it is. False attributions only serve to muddy the waters and increase confusion. Unfortunately, the more confusion there is – especially during this pandemic, the more harm there is.
Scripture teaches that Satan thrives in an environment of confusion. From the moment he rebelled in heaven to when he brought doubt into Adam and Eve’s minds in Eden to this very day, his primary goal has been to obscure God’s character. He has been wildly successful at getting us to attribute false data to God. So many of us think that God is a tyrant who loves causing suffering and death, when in reality those are Satan’s characteristics. This is why Paul explains that a fundamental problem with sinners (us) is that, “They traded the truth about God for a lie” (Romans 1:25). May we not believe these lies that lead to death, but rather cling to Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life!
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Please note: These devotionals will become bi-weekly starting next week.