Lonely Places

I struggle with feeling that ministry opportunities have been ripped away from us because of COVID-19. We are in a lonely place because we can no longer reach or serve people in the same manner we once did. However, I recently realized we are in good company. Jesus experienced something similar, but rather than wringing his hands and abandoning his ministry, he worked around the obstacles. At the start of his ministry Jesus said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” (Luke 4:43-44 NIV). However, the Lord’s preaching in the synagogues was short lived when he healed a man with leprosy. “Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere” (Mark 1:43-45 NIV).