The Christian Response to the Coronavirus

Published April 29, 2020

By Reverend Dr. RB Holmes, Pastor

Bethel Missionary Baptist Church

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

My devotionals this week are about the significance of identity, destiny and legacy. I took a brieftour back to West Africa, Senegal, the deadly island of Goree, where ‘perhaps millions of our ancestorswere tortured and packed like sardines in a ship called Jesus of Lübeck, a 700-ton ship was used totransport 400 captured Africans in 1564 to forcefully come to America as slaves. The primary goal ofslavery was to steal one’s identity, destiny and legacy. Mrs. Holmes, myself and a delegation of mymembers from Bethel visited Goree Island around 1992. When we visited this horrible place we felt apain, an anger and a frustration that was emotionally wrenching. Several of us fainted. It was a real reminder of how our people suffered without their families, without their friends and without a meaningful future. When people are robbed of their identity, destiny and legacy, they can lose all sense of hope and faith. Listen, identity, destiny and legacy are three spiritual weapons that one must have in order to live the “abundant life.”

 IDENTITY: Who has God called you to be?
 DESTINY: What has God called you to do?
 LEGACY: What will God bless you to leave behind?

A healthy identity leads to a healthy destiny, and a healthy destiny leads to a healthy legacy. This is why it is important that you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I am not talking about some Eurocentric Christ. I am talking about the historic Jesus who said in St. John 10:10, “The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill and destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” My friends, when I met Jesus, I was able to recover my stolen identity and reclaim a twisted destiny and I was empowered by the Holy Spirit to leave behind a legacy. When Jesus becomes our “Good Shepherd” then life is worth the living. We have vision and values. We have purpose and passion. We have hope and healing. We have strength and salvation. We have peace and perseverance. No slave master, no demon, no negative vicious past, no dream buster, and no hater or heathen can any longer destroy our identity, destiny and legacy. Why? Because we know the “Good Shepherd” and He gives us precious promises. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. “ (St. John 10:27-28) Say it loud, “I am somebody!” Amen.

Daily Bible Devotional 4.29.2020 PDF

Category Daily Bible Devotion