God is at Work

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. Psalm 121:5-6 (RSV)

We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (RSV)

I just preached on Psalm 121 a few Sundays ago. I wonder if the Lord was getting me and all of us ready for what we're going through right now? I know since October I've been praying this psalm and turning its words over and over again in my heart and mind. Hear this again: the Lord is our, your keeper. Pray this alongside Psalm 23 where we say, "The Lord is my shepherd." The Lord shepherds us and keeps us. God is our protector and guardian. Trust him and trust his word. Let me be so bold as to suggest that you spend some time reading and praying Psalm 121. I really believe it is a word for us right now and that the Lord was preparing me and you for this time we are facing. Plus what we were already going through in our own lives.

Paul says God is at work for good in "everything." Even in a time of fear? Yes. Even when people are sick? Yes. It takes faith and trust to see this and at times we only get a glimmer. But if we train ourselves to see where God is at work, even when it seems he is absent, we just might see his mighty, yet gentle hand.

Just think of all the people working to bring healing to those who have the new virus. I read a wonderful interview of Francis Collins who leads the NIH. Did you know Collins is a Christian and a scientist? He went to UVA  and UNC! Yes, that's possible! He's a deeply Christian man who is just one of the people at work to bring a good solution to this new virus. And there are so many others: physicians, nurses, therapists, paramedics, EMTs, scientists, volunteers, helpers of many, many kinds. Through these people God is at work.

Continue to pray. Don't stop. It's tempting to do so with so much bad news. God works through our prayers. Yes, even our prayers. Keep in touch with friends and neighbors. Check on the elderly and the lonely. Listen. Send a card or an email or a text. Share this or the other emails I've sent. Stay connected. Put yourself in the position to be one of the ways God is at work in this crisis.

Don't hesitate to contact me for prayer or questions or other things. You can email, text, or call me. Yes, I'm having a CT tomorrow and treatments next week, but I still want to hear from you if you need me. I will do what I'm able and permitted to do given what the treatments have done to my immune system. But I can still pray and listen.

As I said yesterday we are improvising right now. We've never been through anything like this. God will see us through. God is at work. Jesus is with us; he is God with us. In Jesus God is for us not against us. Nothing at all can separate us from God's love. Nothing!

Clay+

Here is a online article about prayer you might find helpful.

Here is a recent interview with Dr Francis Collins with Focus on the Family.

Rev Clay Knick is the Pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Middletown, Virginia.