Psalm 91:5-6 Yesterday we talked about the fact that the Bible addresses every issue of life, and has your answer for every question known to man. Well, as I am writing this there is a virus sweeping the nation, and virtually the world, that has people not only frightened but also acting in crazy ways! How so, you may ask. Well, I for one, am suffering with a mild head cold. Because I am coughing, but have no fever, I am staying away from public places. Last time I had a cold I made sure I had no fever and had tissues and hand sanitizer, and went about my daily routine. Certainly, I would not go to nursing homes, hospitals, or to visit small children, but most other places would be okay. Not with this virus!
Somehow, this time is different. I personally am not concerned about the virus; I am, however, concerned about how people would respond to me coughing in their midst. I have watched the News outlets show all the hand sanitizer wiped off the shelves, yet, doctors are saying washing your hands regularly is all you need. The masks covering your nose and mouth, also sold out. Medical professionals tell us that is worse because you touch your face to adjust the mask and you may be picking up the bacteria somewhere else and putting it right in your eyes. Let’s go back to the 'instruction book,' shall we? Psalm 91 gives us a comforting picture of what God will do for us in troubling times — like a worldwide coronavirus outbreak. But, along with this promise of God, comes a prerequisite. Psalm 91, verse 1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” When we spend time abiding in His presence there is a peace that comes over us that is unexplainable. We can face uncertain times with the knowledge that God has our back. How do we know this? Well, for one thing, He tells us we do not need to fear the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor flies by day. I for one prefer to believe that God has this virus all figured out. As children of God He will protect us, just like we protect our children. It is when we become anxious, we use up resources in our bodies that we need to defend us from illness. On top of that, the stress does not make anything else any better either. It may be very tempting to get caught up in the hoopla surrounding the news of every new case (most people recover, by the way) — but stop for a minute, take a deep breath and remind yourself, I can relax, God’s in charge! Question: Are you stressed about what the News is reporting about the coronavirus? List three things you can do to help yourself relax and trust God. Here’s the first: 1. Read Psalm 91 daily.
0 Comments
Proverbs 3:5-6 I am sure we all remember a time when in a Social Awareness Class our teachers posed this experiment:
Someone stands in front of a trusted friend and falls backward ‘trusting’ the standing friend will catch them. Unfortunately, you cannot always trust that friend to catch! My husband knew of a teacher he worked with who posed that question to his middle school students. Everyone stood in place, but, when the time came to ‘catch,’ the boy didn’t! The boy in front fell, crashing to the floor and hurting his head. The boy who did not catch thought it would be a funny prank and he would gain some status from his peers. But his plan backfired. Instead, they ridiculed him unmercifully until he threatened, then executed, a death wish on himself! So incredibly sad. Our words and actions matter. They can bring life… or death. In the scripture we are looking at today, we are instructed to physically place our trust in the Lord, not in our own understanding of the situation. The implication is that before you act, or re-act to any situation, lean on the Word! Every single situation we face in life has already been addressed in the Bible. Amazing, isn’t it? Thousands of years ago God inspired over 30 writers to give us all we need to live life to the fullest, in God’s instruction book. We just need to read it! So, before you ‘lean’ on anything for too long, check out what the Bible says about it! When you place your trust in God, He will catch you every time! Question: Can you recall a time when you chose to lean on the Word of God for an answer or situation in life? Feel free to share with our readers via the comment button below. I Corinthians 2:9 March, it can be such a volatile month for the weather! So much so that March has a phrase to describe it. Perhaps you've heard the old adage: "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."
We know that a lion, king of the beasts, can have power beyond compare, while the precious little lamb represents everything tame and innocent. If you saw a lion just laying down in a sunny field near you, while a lamb playfully skipped around him, you would begin to wonder just how long will that lazy lion put up with that before making a ‘lamb lunch’ for himself. Yet, in a universe created by God and described in the book of Revelation (Chapter 21), God describes the "New Jerusalem.” It's a place where the lion and lamb will live in peace together because that is the way God always intended it to be, even before Adam and Eve disobeyed God. But, here’s something to look forward to… God will do it again! I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to running through a field with a cougar and black bear running right alongside me! Psalm 4:8 gives us assurance we will dwell in safety, and Isaiah 11:6 says "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and yearling together; and a child will lead them." Wow, imagine that beautiful and peaceful scene. According to our scripture verse for today, our human minds cannot even begin to conceive all the awesome things God has prepared for us. In this month of unpredictable weather patterns, one thing is certain -- God does have a beautiful new creation planned for us! Question: What excites you most as you ponder the New Jerusalem? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. |