DAY 75 IN QUARANTINE, and this social distancing is starting to take its toll on a lot of people.

Up to now, the data is working against any hope that this enhanced community quarantine will be lifted any time soon. In fact, experts predict that this could go on until the second quarter of the year.

Sadly, mental health professionals foresee a potential spike in mental health concerns as a result of prolonged isolation from friends and support groups. The situation is actually a race against time, because as the days go by, more and more people are dying—either because of the virus or because of anxiety and depression.

Thankfully, the entire global scientific community is working hard and collaborating well in a bid to develop a vaccine in record time.

Social isolation has actually made everyone a direct casualty in this global crisis. Not everyone may have been directly infected by the virus, but its effects on society spared no one.

I myself, a hardened introvert, can feel the pang of loneliness and isolation after more than two months of being in quarantine.

Prolonged isolation is one of the worst things that could happen to anyone. Going through difficult times is tough enough, but going through difficult times alone is definitely one crazy ride.

If you’re feeling alone at the moment and you’re going through something, the cloud may have a silver lining. God is doing something behind the scenes and achieving something in the world and in our individual lives, even while we’re locked down inside our homes.

The great men in the Bible had their own periods of isolation, after which they moved from obscurity to greatness.

Joseph spent years in prison when he was sold as a slave in Egypt. But God was with him all the way through, strengthening him and preparing him to be the governor of Egypt. Through Joseph’s leadership, many people were saved from a severe famine.

David was a lone shepherd who spent most of his days alone with his sheep. He was overlooked by society and was taken for granted even by his own family. Yet God brought David from the sheepfold to become the king of an entire nation.

Jesus fasted for forty days in the desert alone. He was weak, isolated, and tested before He returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the purpose that His Father had prepared for Him.

I wish I had more time to tell you about Jonah, who spent three days in the belly of a big fish, or Elijah, who had only crows for company. What about Paul, who spent his life in and out of prison? All of these men were launched into greatness after a period of solitary confinement.

You see, there’s something about isolation and obscurity that prepares men and women for greatness.

In the silence of solitary confinement, we hit the pause button and reflect on how our lives have been till this point. We recognize the things that are truly valuable. We realize the vanity of some of our pursuits, and we get the chance to start our lives over.

In the silence of isolation, we hear the raging thoughts in our heads and we know ourselves more deeply. Isolation, depending on how you respond to it, can either help you grow and mature, or it can sink you deeper into your struggles and insecurities.

As days turn into months, I hope that we will spend our time wisely and make the most of our numbered days.

Do you feel alone and abandoned? Take courage. You are being prepared for greatness.

After these days in isolation, God will launch you into your destiny.