Almost anywhere you look right now, you will see fear. If you walk down the street or around a park, it will be difficult for you to find anybody who will speak to you or even look at you as you pass by. People are wearing masks even where it is not required, and most are likely wearing them to protect themselves from illness rather than out of concern for others. Stores are still being sold out of many things, though now toilet paper does not seem to be such a rare find; people are buying out toys and crafts; anything to keep themselves and their children from going crazy from isolation.
These sights are heartbreaking to behold, and I will admit that they have caused me to fear.
I fear for the eternity of all of those fearful individuals who have no hope if they catch the virus; they live only for this life and have no concept of eternity. With the media focusing so much on the death tolls rather than on the individuals who have recovered, it is no wonder that so many are fearing death!
I fear for the sanity of those who live alone, and who have no one to care whether or not they have enough to eat and have enough social interaction. I am afraid for the women and children in abusive home situations who are stuck within their four walls with no hope of escape. I fear that travel bans will take so long to be lifted that missions will continue to be postponed and canceled, and families will not be able to reunite for months.
However, God's Word has given specific commandments and instructions concerning fear and worry. The Scriptures are used by God to heal (Psalm 107:20), and He has certainly been healing my heart a great deal during these past few weeks.
Psalm 23 has become one of my go-to passages when my mind is full of despairing thoughts. It is such a comforting thing to recite this psalm and visualize every detail, right down to an overflowing cup. One of my favorite mental images is that of a sheep walking through a dark valley where robbers and wolves lurk in every shadow. The sheep does not have to fear, because its shepherd is protecting it, as the Psalmist says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." [Psalm 23:4, emphasis mine]1
Even in the darkest moments of this present crisis, we as children of God and the sheep of His pasture do not have to fear, for our Shepherd is with us.
Psalm 27:13-14 "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" [Emphasis mine]
David was no stranger to trials; being hunted down by King Saul, fighting in battles, and experiencing the treasonous acts of his sons are just a few of the trials that are mentioned in the accounts of David. He knew what it was to "lose heart", but he also knew the salvation and strength of the Lord. He was intentional about waiting on the Lord, trusting in His will, seeking Him, and praying.
We, too, may wait on the Lord, trusting His heart and His will, remembering that He is sovereign and in control of all things––even the spread or containment of the virus! We may be of good courage, for we know that God works out all things for our good and especially for His glory.
Psalm 130:5-6 "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning––yes, more than those who watch for the morning."
What really strikes me about these particular verses is the extent to which the Psalmist was waiting on the Lord. "More than those who watch for the morning"!
This brings to mind two factors:
1. It is a sure thing that the sun will rise each morning; even if the clouds are in the forecast, it is certain that the sun will rise and bring light. The Psalmist was more sure that the Lord would make good His promises than he was that the sun would rise in the morning. What a blessed thought! The Lord's promises are more sure than the rising of the sun!
2. When the nighttime comes, fear is much stronger than it is during the day. So much wickedness happens in the darkness, and it is difficult to see danger when it is approaching. We hope with confidence that the sun will rise soon; that we will be able to see clearly again and have the hope of a new day in which to accomplish more than we did today. The Psalmist waited for the Lord with more hope and longing than for the rising of the sun!
We do not have very much in the way of certainty right now. We are told that the crisis has reached its peak and is decreasing, that we will be out of isolation in about three more weeks, and that the economy will eventually return to "normal". We are certain of the sunrise and of the sunset, and that we will be sleeping at some point in the next day or two. But there is so much uncertainty, and it is such a comforting thing to remember that the Lord is our hope! We know with certainty that He will show His hand in this crisis, even if it is not as quickly as we would like.
Another passage that is similar, and very well-known, is found in Lamentations: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'" [Lamentations 3:22-24, ESV]
The entire world is going through a time of hardship that will not be soon forgotten. So many do not have any hope; however, the Lord is the one who gets us through each day. He is merciful to give us the strength we need to face each day and to serve Him in spite of the chaos. He strengthens His children with His love and reminds us of the hope we have in Him.
And finally, one more well-known passage; one which has become one of my life's "themes", as I am sure it has for many other believers:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." [Proverbs 3:5-6]
The phrasing used here is so convicting, yet very encouraging. Solomon did not write, "maybe you should trust in the Lord", or, "do you trust in the Lord?" or even, "if you trust in the Lord, then He will direct your paths." He simply wrote, "trust". It is a command!
Our trust in the Lord is vital. If we do not trust in Him, and if we follow after out own faulty wisdom and understanding, we are in danger of becoming discouraged, making innumerable mistakes, and becoming proud.
If we do trust in the Lord, He will direct our paths! He will show us His will, guide us where He would have us to go, and teach us how we can best use our lives to glorify Him. We will find rest as He guides us, because we will not be constantly searching for the next turn and going the wrong way.
As it is a command, our trust must be intentional. Going through life on auto-pilot is not trust, but complacency and resignation. In contrast, making our decisions based on our own desires rather than on God's Word will make us proud and self-sufficient.
Trusting God intentionally is an act of utter humility, realizing who we are before God––there really is not even a comparison between us and God!––and acknowledging our sinfulness and worthlessness to Him. It is casting our cares at His feet and leaving them there for Him to carry for us. It is recognizing that God has a perfect plan for every circumstance that comes our way, and asking Him to give us contentment, peace, and wisdom in whatever His plan brings.
All of the things that are happening in the world right now are frightening, and they certainly should give us urgency to make the best use of the time we have and especially to preach the Gospel to those who are without hope. However, we as Christians must not forget to keep our eyes on Christ! He is our hope, the one for whom we should wait with confident expectation. We are commanded to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, even when it comes to trusting Him with the welfare of other people. May we all have the courage to live in the strength of the Lord, and the hope and trust to go to Him in prayer with every fear that arises in our hearts!
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the New King James Version
These sights are heartbreaking to behold, and I will admit that they have caused me to fear.
I fear for the eternity of all of those fearful individuals who have no hope if they catch the virus; they live only for this life and have no concept of eternity. With the media focusing so much on the death tolls rather than on the individuals who have recovered, it is no wonder that so many are fearing death!
I fear for the sanity of those who live alone, and who have no one to care whether or not they have enough to eat and have enough social interaction. I am afraid for the women and children in abusive home situations who are stuck within their four walls with no hope of escape. I fear that travel bans will take so long to be lifted that missions will continue to be postponed and canceled, and families will not be able to reunite for months.
However, God's Word has given specific commandments and instructions concerning fear and worry. The Scriptures are used by God to heal (Psalm 107:20), and He has certainly been healing my heart a great deal during these past few weeks.
Psalm 23 has become one of my go-to passages when my mind is full of despairing thoughts. It is such a comforting thing to recite this psalm and visualize every detail, right down to an overflowing cup. One of my favorite mental images is that of a sheep walking through a dark valley where robbers and wolves lurk in every shadow. The sheep does not have to fear, because its shepherd is protecting it, as the Psalmist says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." [Psalm 23:4, emphasis mine]1
Even in the darkest moments of this present crisis, we as children of God and the sheep of His pasture do not have to fear, for our Shepherd is with us.
Psalm 27:13-14 "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!" [Emphasis mine]
David was no stranger to trials; being hunted down by King Saul, fighting in battles, and experiencing the treasonous acts of his sons are just a few of the trials that are mentioned in the accounts of David. He knew what it was to "lose heart", but he also knew the salvation and strength of the Lord. He was intentional about waiting on the Lord, trusting in His will, seeking Him, and praying.
We, too, may wait on the Lord, trusting His heart and His will, remembering that He is sovereign and in control of all things––even the spread or containment of the virus! We may be of good courage, for we know that God works out all things for our good and especially for His glory.
Psalm 130:5-6 "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning––yes, more than those who watch for the morning."
What really strikes me about these particular verses is the extent to which the Psalmist was waiting on the Lord. "More than those who watch for the morning"!
This brings to mind two factors:
1. It is a sure thing that the sun will rise each morning; even if the clouds are in the forecast, it is certain that the sun will rise and bring light. The Psalmist was more sure that the Lord would make good His promises than he was that the sun would rise in the morning. What a blessed thought! The Lord's promises are more sure than the rising of the sun!
2. When the nighttime comes, fear is much stronger than it is during the day. So much wickedness happens in the darkness, and it is difficult to see danger when it is approaching. We hope with confidence that the sun will rise soon; that we will be able to see clearly again and have the hope of a new day in which to accomplish more than we did today. The Psalmist waited for the Lord with more hope and longing than for the rising of the sun!
We do not have very much in the way of certainty right now. We are told that the crisis has reached its peak and is decreasing, that we will be out of isolation in about three more weeks, and that the economy will eventually return to "normal". We are certain of the sunrise and of the sunset, and that we will be sleeping at some point in the next day or two. But there is so much uncertainty, and it is such a comforting thing to remember that the Lord is our hope! We know with certainty that He will show His hand in this crisis, even if it is not as quickly as we would like.
Another passage that is similar, and very well-known, is found in Lamentations: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'" [Lamentations 3:22-24, ESV]
The entire world is going through a time of hardship that will not be soon forgotten. So many do not have any hope; however, the Lord is the one who gets us through each day. He is merciful to give us the strength we need to face each day and to serve Him in spite of the chaos. He strengthens His children with His love and reminds us of the hope we have in Him.
And finally, one more well-known passage; one which has become one of my life's "themes", as I am sure it has for many other believers:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." [Proverbs 3:5-6]
The phrasing used here is so convicting, yet very encouraging. Solomon did not write, "maybe you should trust in the Lord", or, "do you trust in the Lord?" or even, "if you trust in the Lord, then He will direct your paths." He simply wrote, "trust". It is a command!
Our trust in the Lord is vital. If we do not trust in Him, and if we follow after out own faulty wisdom and understanding, we are in danger of becoming discouraged, making innumerable mistakes, and becoming proud.
If we do trust in the Lord, He will direct our paths! He will show us His will, guide us where He would have us to go, and teach us how we can best use our lives to glorify Him. We will find rest as He guides us, because we will not be constantly searching for the next turn and going the wrong way.
As it is a command, our trust must be intentional. Going through life on auto-pilot is not trust, but complacency and resignation. In contrast, making our decisions based on our own desires rather than on God's Word will make us proud and self-sufficient.
Trusting God intentionally is an act of utter humility, realizing who we are before God––there really is not even a comparison between us and God!––and acknowledging our sinfulness and worthlessness to Him. It is casting our cares at His feet and leaving them there for Him to carry for us. It is recognizing that God has a perfect plan for every circumstance that comes our way, and asking Him to give us contentment, peace, and wisdom in whatever His plan brings.
All of the things that are happening in the world right now are frightening, and they certainly should give us urgency to make the best use of the time we have and especially to preach the Gospel to those who are without hope. However, we as Christians must not forget to keep our eyes on Christ! He is our hope, the one for whom we should wait with confident expectation. We are commanded to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, even when it comes to trusting Him with the welfare of other people. May we all have the courage to live in the strength of the Lord, and the hope and trust to go to Him in prayer with every fear that arises in our hearts!
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the New King James Version
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