Psalm 13:1 “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”
As we become more and more weary of this prolonged virus and the chaos in our cities, there is a tendency for us to pray like the Psalmist, “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” or ask “Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?” (Psalms 77:8)! In our area, the last two years have been extraordinarily taxing. Hurricane Michael devastated our area and we are still struggling with the recovery. Now this Coronavirus and the wickedness that is ravaging many of our cities have poured salt into our wounds. On top of these things, a whole host of injuries and surgeries and deaths have plagued us. So, it is natural for us to wonder, “How long … O LORD?”! But, our Spiritual Mind speaks to our hearts with clarity and strength, “stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13) and “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10); for, there will come a moment in which our Lord will Command, “Peace, be still” and then there will be “a great calm” (Mark 4:39). In the meantime, let us rest upon our God-given Faith, relying upon the Strength of God (Philippians 4:13), rejecting discouragement, not compromising with fear, and not behaving with haphazard and poor judgment. The Lord Commands us to “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation”; that is, stay at our posts no matter how severe the troubles become all the while praying to the Lord God our Deliverer. When we fail to “Watch and pray” we “enter” “into temptation”; that is, we get frustrated, get discouraged, and reach for the give-up button. It is true, that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41); but, it is also true that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). It is in times like these that our Spiritual Metal is tested; so, let’s earnestly pray that when the test is finally finished, we “shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10)! When king “David was greatly distressed” he “encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (I Samuel 30:6). Now is the time for the Lord’s Ministers to “Speak ye comfortably to” (Isaiah 40:2) the Children of God, reminding us over and over again that we can, even in the midst of tribulation, declare with the Psalmist, “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6); that is, I know that better days are ahead, so by my Lord’s grace and mercy I will remain faithful to Him, His people, and to His Church even while the storm rages around me. This is an opportunity for us to really show our love and commitment to our Lord. It is one thing to sing “I love my Savior God”, but faith is on a much higher plain when we faithfully show our love to our Lord while the prolonged storm rages around us! Even if it is necessary, for safety’s sake, for us to again worship together by electronic means, let’s faithfully do it, always “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)! Remember, it was when Peter took his eyes off the Lord that he began to sink (Matthew 14:30). Also, this is a good time to call one another and fellowship over the phone!!!