Psalm 91:5-7 “Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in the darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.”
I open my eyes and feel the cool breeze come through my open window. I listen for the noises outside. Once I hear the hum of the nearby traffic and the morning sounds of lawnmowers and leaf blowers, I can usually come up with the numbers I will see on my bedside clock. But things are different now. There is a sound of silence outside my window. Cars have been tucked away in their garages. The owners of these vehicles have found themselves in quarantine along with the lawnmower driver and leaf-blower handler. It is a world of stillness. I lay in my bed and do my daily prayer of putting on my full armor of God. I am dressed and ready to face my day.
I walk into the living room and find the stillness of the morning has been interrupted by the noise of the black box which hangs on my wall. It proceeds to spit out words that describe a world in turmoil. We have soaring numbers of sickness, hospitals are inundated with patients. There is a severe shortage of medical supplies. The stock market crashes and then the next day rises even as millions of people find themselves without work. A bill is passed to help us get through this without too much damage. The dollar amount contains twelve zeros and somewhere in the future, the piper will need to be paid. I can feel the armor of God loosening and coming undone. Gloom and doom is the soup of the day.
I open my eyes and feel the cool breeze come through my open window. I listen for the noises outside. Once I hear the hum of the nearby traffic and the morning sounds of lawnmowers and leaf blowers, I can usually come up with the numbers I will see on my bedside clock. But things are different now. There is a sound of silence outside my window. Cars have been tucked away in their garages. The owners of these vehicles have found themselves in quarantine along with the lawnmower driver and leaf-blower handler. It is a world of stillness. I lay in my bed and do my daily prayer of putting on my full armor of God. I am dressed and ready to face my day.
I walk into the living room and find the stillness of the morning has been interrupted by the noise of the black box which hangs on my wall. It proceeds to spit out words that describe a world in turmoil. We have soaring numbers of sickness, hospitals are inundated with patients. There is a severe shortage of medical supplies. The stock market crashes and then the next day rises even as millions of people find themselves without work. A bill is passed to help us get through this without too much damage. The dollar amount contains twelve zeros and somewhere in the future, the piper will need to be paid. I can feel the armor of God loosening and coming undone. Gloom and doom is the soup of the day.
So I do what I know helps me when I am feeling anxious and afraid and where I can bring calmness to my soul. I change my clothes, tie my shoes, and step out into the beautiful view of all of God’s creation. I go to His lovely dwelling place. It is in the quietness of the outdoors where I can hear and see all of His creation. It is the mountains I see rise up out of the earth that reminds me where I need to look for my help in times of trouble. As the breeze flows through the trees, they praise the Lord. The green grass that grows reminds me that the Lord’s favor is like dew on the grass. The chirping of the birds reminds me I am more valuable than a flock of sparrows. Then the Lord puts the cherry on top of all of this. He sends me butterflies to show me how He can transform a broken life and help me to see the beauty even in my darkest days. Only I can change my view on how I see this time we are in. I pray I learn more valuable lessons as the days go by. I ask the Lord to remind me of past struggles and how He has met me throughout my life. He did it before and He will do it again. I pray for all of us as we walk through these days. I pray you will go to where you find His dwelling place and listen for the voice of the Lord, He is there!
