Last December, in that pretty normal year called 2019, our daughter Karina Franklin and her family flew up from California to join Nanci and me along with our daughter Angela Stump and her family. Because of this weird season of COVID that began less than three months later, that was the last time our whole family was together.

It may sound selfish to say that one of our main duties in life is to find happiness, satisfaction, peace, and rest in God. But only when we’re delighting in our Lord do we have far more to offer everyone else—especially in times of stress and difficulty, when life demands even more of us.

Three weeks ago I did a 45-minute video chat with my friend Scott Lindsay of Faithlife, the makers of Logos Bible Software. We discussed suffering, God’s sovereignty, and the coronavirus crisis, and also talked about the good things that God is doing through this time.

This video, from my son-in-law Dan Franklin, married to my daughter Karina, is terrific. Some believers on both sides of the debate of when we should reopen are dismissive of the specific and very different circumstances that inform people’s viewpoints.

In this video Randy Alcorn is interviewed by Scott Lindsey with Faithlife on the topic of suffering, God's sovereignty and the Coronavirus pandemic. 

There are many Americans who are anticipating receiving their coronavirus stimulus from the government because they truly need the money in order to pay bills and care for their families right now. But if you’re in a position where this money would just go into your savings account or to fund wants but not needs, I would like to make what might seem to be a radical suggestion. 

In the following 21-minute audio clip, Randy Alcorn discusses some thoughts on the COVID 19 crisis on the Chris Fabry Live Show on Moody Radio. 

LifeNews has a list of the U.S. states that have shut down abortion clinics right now, and the states that are still allowing them to operate. The list doesn’t include the status of my home state of Oregon, but one clinic in Portland says on their website, “[We believe] it is our responsibility to stay open so that we may continue to provide safe and legal abortions.” 

I love these thoughts from Max Lucado about not just surviving but thriving in the coming month, despite the difficulties and disappointments we may have right now. Hope this encourages you, too.