by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Lightning flashed through the closed curtains, and thunder cracked right outside my window. Why is it I can’t fall asleep on the nights when I need sleep the most? I pulled my curtains open to watch the light show, and then quickly shut them so I wouldn’t go blind. God, please protect us, I prayed, and then lay down to rest. I am grateful for the heavenly Sentry who stands watch through the thunderstorms of life. God never sleeps (Psalm 4:8, 121:4), and I know I can count on Him to be alert and at work when exhaustion overtakes me. Or when I am scared and need relief. 

Another sentry stands guard through storms of fear and unrest. The truth of God’s Word is always on active duty, standing as a faithful witness of the character of God and as a refuge against a torrential downpour of worry and fear. Truth guards our hearts and minds from anxiety when we read Scripture and count on God’s promises and His presence with us (Psalm 94:19). Truth reminds us that God is bigger than any threat (Psalm 37:20, 55:18, 91:4-6), that He can work all things for good (Romans 8:28), and that He always does what is good toward His children (Jeremiah 32:40). Truth is a faithful friend that restores our peace, as long as we place more value on the truth than our fears and commit ourselves to what we know of God and His power. 

Each Writer, a Sentry

God has planted sentries throughout the world, and you’re one of them. As God and His Word show us what we can count on in fearful times, we writers have the awesome privilege of keeping watch over the events of our times and sharing the truth that we know. It can come in the form of a written word or a spoken one, but it lives on, wide awake, never sleeping—standing guard in our social media posts, pointing people to God as a faithful witness on our blogs, or trumpeting His great goodness in our articles and books. Truth never sleeps even when we have to. Or try to. 

Is the coronavirus distracting you from your writing? We don’t have to write without any fear or concern present. But we know who controls the outcome of all things and what a great heart of love He has. We may not understand why all of this is happening, but we can count on this—God can see what we can’t, all of the good being worked through sickness and sorrow and seclusion. We have examples in Scripture of how He worked good out of tragedy for the people in Bible times, and we have our own testimonies of how He has been there for us. Who needs to hear that right now—read that right now—and find hope? 

Don’t Stop Writing

With the world standing on guard against this unseen threat, let’s be faithful sentries watching over people’s well-being. Let’s be mindful of not only their physical condition but their spiritual vitality. God never wastes a trial, and if someone turns to Him because of this pandemic, heaven will rejoice and God’s family will grow stronger. 

So keep writing, dear writer. Truth is always alert, and He never sleeps.

What are some truths from Scripture that restore peace to your heart during this COVID-19 crisis? Take those truths and write about them (or keep writing about them) in a blog post, social media post, or story. Take the opportunity in these days to stand as a sentry and point people to the Source of everlasting hope and peace. In the comments below, share a verse that restores your peace. 

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies. She loves connecting with writers and working alongside them in compilations, such as Heart Renovation: A Construction Guide to Godly Character, which was a 2019 Selah Awards finalist and Director’s Choice finalist. Lighthouse’s next compilation, The Power to Make a Difference, releases at the end of January.

Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.com, thoughts-about-God.com, the Arise Daily blog, and two blogs on writing. She loves spending time with family and friends, making jewelry, and hunting for the best donuts. Connect with her at her blog, The Scrapbooked Bible Study, and on Facebook and Twitter.