In modern America most of us live with the illusion of control over our earthly lives. Constant improvements in medicine, health and safety standards, along with peace and prosperity at home – these things together have allowed us to minimize risk. (Those living in poverty anywhere or deployed to war zones abroad have no such illusions.) So it is that most of us are disrupted by occasional weather tragedies, untimely celebrity deaths, airplane crashes, or the cancer diagnosis of a friend or family member – we are briefly jarred out of the illusion of safety. But how quickly and easily we return to that false comfort.

A worldwide pandemic has laid bare these illusions. The resulting panic has also laid bare the effect of a nation’s retreat from a biblical worldview. Quite simply – as a people, we are fearful of the wrong thing.

The Bible teaches us that life is a vapor, a mere breath (James 4:14). The Bible teaches us that it is appointed to man once to die, and then judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

Jesus Himself tells us what to fear, and what not to fear: “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5).

And this is why we are in a panic – we fear a virus that can kill our body, but so many of us in our nation today no longer fear the God who will determine our fate for eternity.

Throughout history, from the time of the Apostles, Christians have faced danger and death with confidence due to the promises of God. The death rate of Mayflower passengers was more than 40 percent during their first winter of 1620-21, but by virtue of their Christian faith they are known for starting our tradition of giving Thanksgiving to God for his goodness as they formed what would become a new nation.

During the Civil War, 2.5 percent of all Americans lost their lives – the equivalent of more than 8 million Americans today, far beyond even the worst-case scenarios for this pandemic from the scariest Drudge headlines. In March of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a “Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day” – and while of course he asked American to fast and pray for an end to the “awful calamity” of the Civil War, he also wrote that we had become proud and powerful and “forgotten God” – “Intoxicated with our unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!”

Lincoln specifically called Americans to return to God and to repent of our individual and national sins – especially the horrific moral evil of slavery.

On this National Day of Prayer, I hope we are praying for much more than an end to this crisis. I hope we are praying for more than protection and provision for our time on earth. As Lincoln asked — I hope we are also repenting of our individual and national sins, and praying that the people of our nation would return to the faith of their fathers.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

It’s pretty simple, actually. Death entered the world through sin, which is rebellion against God. Given free will, we chose to go our own way in defiance of our Creator and the rules He gave us for our good. Unable to achieve perfect holiness on our own, we had no way to reconnect with a holy God – until He sent His son Jesus to live a perfect, holy life. Jesus loved people, spoke truth, healed the sick – and challenged the religious and secular authorities of His day, who put Him to death. He went willingly, even though He could have commanded thousands of angels to intervene (Matthew 26:53). He did so to give us an opportunity – through faith in Jesus – to reconnect with God and live forever in His presence in the perfect world to come. When Jesus rose from the dead, He showed us what will happen when we die on earth – if we believe in Him. As Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

That is the central question today. Do you believe this?

If you do, there is no reason to fear a virus. If not, there is plenty of reason to be fearful – and because we live in a nation where fewer and fewer believe in Jesus, we can understand why there is palpable panic and fear all around us. What an opportunity to be vessels of calmness, peace, and service to those around us, while pointing the world to the truth of the Gospel.

And yet there is opportunity — “Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation’.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

On this National Day of Prayer, let’s pray for the sick and the grieving. Let’s pray for our health care workers and government leaders. Let’s pray for God to supernaturally intervene and stop this virus.

But let’s also pray that many around the world, and in our nation, will come to know the one true God, will understand the sacrifice He made to save us and draw us to Him, and that nothing can separate us from His love.

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ^… I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God longs for us to spend eternity with Him in a place where all wrongs are made right, where all sickness is healed, and where there is no more pain, tears or death. (Revelation 21:4) If you have any doubts about your future, turn to Jesus Christ today.

The challenge we face now is unique. It appears that at least for a few weeks, possibly months, we are essentially shutting down most public activities to slow the spread of this virus. We hope and pray this season of inactivity, cancelled events, closures and working remotely succeeds in flattening the curve of the spread of this awful virus.

In our culture we spend most of our time avoiding thinking about a simple truth – we are all going to die. But the headlines intrude on this ostrich strategy – with tragedies of celebrity deaths, fears of a pandemic that could kill millions, earthquakes, nuclear posturing by despots and rumors of war. What to do when anxiety is heightened by reminders of the fragility of life? Remember that Christ was sent by God to live a holy life and to bear our punishment, to die for our sins – and that when He comes again He will take us to His father, where we will live forever in a world with no fear, no pain, no heartache, no death. We are already immortal! If you are living in fear of death or judgment, turn to Christ – “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2).

The biblical account of God’s response to corruption and violence – sending a flood to wipe out humanity – is a blunt reminder of how serious our sin is to a holy God. Thankfully, even though “every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood,” God promises that He won’t do that again — “as the long as the earth endures … day and night will never cease.” (Gen. 8:21-22.) Most importantly, God sent Jesus to provide a way of reconciliation between sinful man and a holy God; Jesus took the punishment the whole world deserves. But the story of Noah’s obedience is also a reminder that one righteous person can literally change history – and also preserve his own family.

This is a great reminder that faith requires us to follow God, even when we don’t know where He is leading and where we are going. Sometimes faith and obedience require us to leave a safe place and head into a great unknown. But the uncertainty is only on this earth, as Hebrews 8 makes clear – because ultimately we are following God to “a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:16). We are “strangers and exiles” on earth, but by our faith we demonstrate our desire and our readiness to become part of the eternal city of God.

When you are raised in a Christian home or come to faith early in life, it can be very easy over time to become like the Pharisees and scribes Jesus speaks to in this passage. We get comfortable with our routines and traditions, reciting the right words and prayers and teachings, while our hearts grow distant from God or even bitter toward Him. Sometimes the shift is so gradual we don’t even notice until – perhaps when we see the urgency or fervency of another person’s pursuit of Christ — we realize how far away we have drifted. As always, God promises: “Return to me … that I may return to you.” (Zechariah 1:3).