Readings for today: Joshua 1-2, Psalms 105
March 19th marked the first day of spring. It was a surreal day in a lot of ways. Here in Colorado, snow was falling. Almost blizzard like conditions. Meanwhile, orders went out in New York and California requiring residents to “shelter in place” as the nations battles the coronavirus. The fight got personal for me as I got news that people I love in different parts of the world had contracted the disease. So what is normally a day of hope. A day of joy. A day to celebrate because winter has passed and new life is emerging fell flat for me. It feels like I’m caught in a bit of a time warp. Like I’m experiencing the same day over and over again. Like nature hit the “snooze” button and we’re in for a few more weeks of winter this year.
Winter is not all bad, of course. Despite appearances, winter is not a “dead time.” It is simply a time where life goes dormant for a while. Trees that may look dead on the outside are churning on the inside as life gets ready to burst forth again. I think the same is true for us. As we self-quarantine and socially distance, there is a churning inside. A growing hunger for connection. A growing desire for face to face relationship. And I imagine once the immediate danger of the virus passes, new life will burst forth more glorious than ever before!
So how can we best use the time we’ve been given? How can we prepare for that great and glorious day when the quarantine is lifted and restrictions are loosed and we are set free? I love what Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” The reality is we’ve all been given a kind of Sabbath. A rest from our normal activity. Like it or not, we’ve been forced off the hamster wheels on which we were running and now have plenty of time slow down. We have plenty of time to spend with those we love and this includes God. God is waiting for us in this time to turn to Him. To meditate on His Word. To talk to Him in prayer. To share all the fears and anxieties of this season with Him. This situation didn’t catch God by surprise. As “novel” as this virus may be to us, it is not new to God. God is still sovereign. God still reigns from His throne. God is at work even now through the creatures He made in His image to bring an end to this deadly strain.
How can we be sure of such things? Listen to Psalms 105. Look at what God has done! Remember His mighty acts! Remember His saving ways! God is deliverer. God is rescuer. God is savior. God will never leave or forsake His people. God will never distance Himself from our pain. God has a “Promised Land” ready for all those who call on His name. This is the truth of the gospel, friends! And it forms the foundation of our hope in these fearful and uncertain times.
You know, I imagine Joshua felt much the same way we do today. As he stared across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, he knew there were no guarantees. He knew the future would be hard. He knew the people of Israel simply didn’t have the strength or the fortitude to make it on their own. Their only hope was God. Their only path to victory was with God. Their only way forward was to trust God. So he pointed them to their history. Drew on the experiences of their forefathers and mothers. Encouraged them with the testimonies of God’s goodness from their past. And this gave them the courage to face the challenges of their day. As you consider the current challenges we face in our time, what brings you hope? What testimonies do you lean on during these difficult times? How are you turning to God’s Word to find courage and strength as we wait for spring?