We Need Each Other by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
There are many things I dislike about COVID but the one thing that stands out is the isolation it creates.
This past week we signed up for a gathering of leaders at our church campus. Day of, I began to waffle. I thought, Do I really want to expose myself to that many people who might have COVID and not know it? But we made a last minute decision to go, and it was the right decision. We worshipped with other leaders from our campus, heard some encouraging words and fellowshipped with friends afterwards, enjoying cake balls and hot chocolate. I would have missed all that if I had remained in a spirit of fear and not attended.
I realized I was overdue for fellowship. I needed to share and laugh with others.
And this is true for all of us. We need each other.
In Exodus 23, as the Israelites continued their journey in the wilderness, God expanded his in-person audience to not only Moses but also the seventy leaders that had been appointed to assist Moses with decisions. The Word says, “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank” (Exodus 24:9–11).
There are three truths I draw from this passage:
- This was a shared experience. Now the elders, Nadab and Abihu understood what Moses had been seeing all along. God probably knew Moses needed like-minded friends.
- By going, the elders found themselves in the presence of God—creating a special time of intimate fellowship with Him.
- This encounter facilitated a stretch of spiritual growth. After meeting God personally, the leaders were probably never the same.
What if they had not gone? Fear of the unknown could have overtaken them.
The enemy of our souls wants us to be fearful as well and to isolate, but even before COVID we risked getting sick when we ventured out. Flus, colds and upper respiratory infections are always lurking. I have had COVID, and it is one of the most difficult illnesses I have experienced, but even so, I am not afraid. I simply pray before leaving the house, Protect me from illness LORD. I trust God with my life and don’t want to miss the blessing that awaits. What about you?