Are you worried? Do you minister to worried people? Those feelings are very natural given the fear and uncertainty people are experiencing amid the Coronavirus crisis. But as a minister, you can respond in supernatural ways.

Don’t minimize the danger. Instead, maximize your faith in the face of adversity. By mining the riches of Scripture, you can find hope that increases faith — both your own and of those you lead. Here are seven Scriptures to help guide you in the weeks and months ahead:

1 Peter 5:10

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

No one likes suffering. But whatever we encounter in life, God can use for His glory. That doesn’t just mean we become examples to others. It also means we receive His grace, strength and steadfastness.

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Often used (or misused) as a verse that promises the believer can do anything, when you dig deeper, you find a firmer truth. No matter the circumstances, the grace of Christ will see you through to the end.

Psalm 91:1-3

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.”

What images does the word “pestilence” produce in your mind? This Psalm (the whole of it is great for sharing with your church) is a reminder that no matter how grim the outlook, God’s might is more powerful!

Let your hope overflow to those who need it even more!

Lamentations 3:19-23

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

The compassion of the Lord will fuel you daily during difficult moments. When you remember His past faithfulness, you are primed to receive them each morning.

Romans 15:13

^“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

An overflowing hope means it’s enough for you and those around you. Let your hope overflow to those who need it even more!

Psalm 3:2-4

“Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.”

As you pray and call others to pray, there may be critics saying your words are useless. They are not. They are the very shield that surrounds you in life!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

What can come from these troubling times? At the beginning of a crisis, it never feels “momentary.” However, the end will result in eternal glory, no matter how many days, weeks, or months of trouble lie ahead.