In peace I will lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8 ESV
Wow. What is going on? Things are not going well. Have you been to the grocery store lately? There are times when aisle after aisle is empty. Even the canned goods area looks bleak. I have never seen a run on green beans before, and I have been around for a while. I did notice one positive thing on my last trip: we still have a good supply of red kidney beans available to us, so that is good!
But seriously, these are strange days. It actually is scary and worrisome. I am usually a positive person, but it seems that things are out of control right now. Things are headed in the wrong direction. The stock market is having huge drops, many are being told that they cannot go to work, there is a virus among us that is a danger. These are turbulent days.
What should we do? That is an appropriate question. It is a question that has been asked during emergencies all throughout history. In fact, King David asks the same question in Psalm 11:
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
— Psalm 11:3 ESV
What should Christians, God’s people, do?
When David wrote this Psalm, he was under attack. We are told that his enemies had their bows drawn and their arrows already pointed at him. His kingdom was in dire trouble.
He had some advisers. They told him to run. They told him to flee to the mountains and hide. David was led by God to take another track. David’s word to others and to himself was:
In the Lord I take refuge…
— Psalm 11:1 ESV
David knew that his God was still with him in the middle of his crisis. He knew that his God was better than some hiding place in the hills.
A full reading of Psalm 11 shows us that David understood some basic truths:
- His God was with him.
- God was still on his throne and in control.
- There was no need to run.
David found peace and confidence in his God.
We should do the same. If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus and have not received the gift of grace that God has offered us, you need to take care of that issue today.
In these times, you need the peace, confidence and power that can only come from him.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
— Psalm 33:22 ESV