Psalm 27, Coronavirus (3) Watch and Pray

I’m sure you have noticed how everyone likes to play on people’s fears.  The medical people want us to know how dangerous the plague is, and so do others.  The initial model that predicted something like 2 million Americans would die was instrumental in getting all this lock-down stuff started.  The model has, of course, been readjusted down to where the plague is on a par with the annual flu figures.  Meanwhile, the “conspiracy” people are also playing to our fears.  Bill Gates wants you to have a chip implanted, at the same time everyone gets vaccinated.  The government is using this plague to gain control over us all and to take away our rights. 

The question I am raising is not, “are any of these things true?”  The question is: why are we hearing all this?  Someone is gaining something out of putting us in a panic.  And no question, BOTH SIDES (or all sides).  What should we do?

I am not suggesting you should ignore these things.  Be reasonable (the Bible word is sober, 1 Thess. 5:6).  Be on the alert (again, the Bible word is watch, 1 Thess. 5:6).  But the Bible never tells us to fear men.  The Bible only tells us to fear God. 

So what do we do if we are among those who desire to fear God in this situation?  Thank you for asking.  Connected with the word “watch” in Scripture is quite often the word “pray.”  WATCH AND PRAY (e.g. Mt. 26:41).  Therefore, I present to you today a great “coronavirus prayer.”  It is a Psalm (Prayer) of David.  David had a lot of foes, a lot of reasons to be in a panic.

·        27:1: Twice David asks rhetorically, Whom shall I fear?  Rhetorical, because the answer is no one since The LORD is my light and my salvation … the LORD is the strength of my life.

·        David’s incentives to fear were greater than yours.  The wicked eating his flesh (v2).  An army encamped against him (v3). 

·        What did he know about God?  That the LORD would hide him in the time of trouble (v5).

·        Why was he confident of this?  Besides what he said about the LORD in v1 there is the fact that David sought after God as a Friend, a Father.  He spent time in the house of the LORD (v4) which means he pursued a relationship with the God of grace and faithfulness.

·        Therefore, he did what we are told to do: he cried out to the LORD (v7; Heb. 4:16). 

·        But he did something else.  He prayed, Teach me Your way, O LORD (v11).  He knew if God was going to hide him, protect him, go to war against his enemies, he knew he would have to walk in the path of righteousness.  If he was in the path of wickedness, he would forfeit God’s help.

·        And, this is so important, David knew God would answer at the right time.  And the right time might not be in the next five minutes.  Thus he said to himself and to us: Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!

What a great prayer for these days.