Readings for today: Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52
The longer we live in crisis, the more we find ourselves wrestling with despair. How long, O Lord? How long do we have to wait? How long do we have to suffer? How long does this pain have to last? We are desperate for answers. We look for people to blame. It may be another country. It may be another culture. It may be our political leaders. It may be that person at the grocery store who refuses to wear a mask or that neighbor who’s hoarded all the toilet paper. Our hearts fill with anger and frustration. Why don’t these people get it right? Why didn’t our leaders act sooner? Why don’t they re-open the economy? Why doesn’t the world do something about wet markets? Maybe it’s all one big conspiracy? Still no answers come. All we’re left with are the opinions of talking heads and spin doctors on cable news. Finally, we come to the end of ourselves. We realize there are really no answers to be had. No one person to blame. No enemy to fight. Life is just hard. Pandemics are not new. There actually is no way to protect ourselves from every bad thing that happens in this world. That’s when we turn to God. We surrender to Him. We submit to His will and His way. We praise Him even in the midst of the storm.
Does any of that sound familiar? Any of that ring a bell as you read the Psalms? Of course it does! The Psalms are the prayer book of the Bible. They are full of the songs of God’s people as they processed all they were going through in their lives. The Psalms are honest. Real. And very raw at times. They register the full range of emotions. They hit every note on the scale. There is joy. There is sadness. There is happiness. There is anger. There is success. There is failure. There is praise. There is despair. There is peace. There is anxiety. Over and over again, the Psalmist shares his heart with God. Almost every Psalm containing peaks and valleys. Spiritual highs and lows. And throughout the centuries God’s people have found solace in them in their time of need.
You and I are living in such a time. A time of great crisis and uncertainty. People are getting sick. People are dying. People are losing jobs. People are suffering in all sorts of ways. The immediate future looks bleak. It’s tough to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Tough to imagine what life looks like in a post-COVID world. That’s why I love the reading for today. I love reading these words over and over again…
“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)
“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!” (Psalm 31:1-2)
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:17-19)
“I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8)
May these words bring comfort to you today. May they be your lifeline in the days to come when things get hard. May they give you strength when you feel overwhelmed or anxious or afraid. May they give you hope when all seems lost. God is with us. He loves us. He will never abandon us. May you find your refuge in Him!
Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 56, 120, 140, 141, 142