I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth To ensure the completion of the Basketball season, the National Basketball Association invited a group of teams to Orlando, where the players can be secluded, randomly tested, and monitored to prevent COVID-19 infection. The NBA calls it the bubble. If a player leaves the bubble, he will be placed in isolation upon returning for a period of time before rejoining his teammates. Many players complained about the bubble because it restricts their access to friends and family. Yet they understand the need for such drastic measures in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Some players were just happy they can get back on the court to perfect their craft. When the season resumes, there will not be any fans attending the games. The media personnel covering the games have had to stay in the bubble as well. Since the sin of Adam of Eve, the world has been struggling with a sin pandemic. This pandemic has caused the death and destruction of countless souls. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has created a bubble. Everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is invited to live in this spiritual bubble. In today’s text, Jesus utters his final prayer for his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion. In that prayer, he asks the Father to create a bubble to protect his disciples from the evil one. Jesus asks the Father to sanctify his disciples by the truth, so they can be transformed by renewing their minds. It takes obedience to the word and will of God to stay in the bubble. Those who remain in the bubble are clothed with a spiritual mind and wear the whole armor of God to protect them from the attacks of the evil one. They pray without ceasing so they can walk in authority and not be afraid of the enemy. It is in the spiritual bubble that the peace of God is found. Spirit-led joy can only be found in the bubble. Believers have to be careful not to walk away from the bubble, so they do not get overwhelmed by life vicissitudes. Our strength is renewed in the bubble, and our faith is magnified. Jesus did not ask the Father to take believers out of the world because he knew that we are the light of the world and the messengers of the good news of the gospel. The NBA bubble is in Florida, which has become the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. Yet, the players can safely play basketball because the bubble is safe and COVID-19 free. The bubble that Jesus has created for believers to live in this world may not immune us from the pain and suffering of this world; it gives us the blessed assurance that God will deliver us from all our troubles. Thus, even when we are perplexed, we are not in despair. When we are persecuted, we know that our Father in heaven does not abandon us.
The bubble is the secret place of the Most High the Psalmist talks about in Psalm 91. Those who reside in that secret place will find refuge under God’s wings. They will not fear the terror of night, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness. That means coronavirus cannot stop God’s people from doing the will of God. Amid this pandemic, we can still be prophetic and evangelistic because we know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). Prayer- Blessed Lord, thank you for the bubble you provided as a safe place for those who trust in you.
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