A Very Present Help

“I will love Thee, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”  Psalm 18:1-2

In the past, I have written blogs about fear, one on 1/8/19 entitled “Fearful or Faithful?” and one on 8/1/19 entitled “Fear-The Great Motivator”.  In one of my other blogs, I referred to an article posted on line by Patrice Lewis wherein she stated that the key to surviving any calamity was to stay calm and not panic.  Nothing that happens takes God by surprise.  He knows the end from the beginning and, as even though some folks might not believe, He is in control.  Sometimes He sends calamity upon people in order to wake us up to our sinful behavior, but I think most of the time, bad things happen because we live in a sin-cursed world.  Things happen because people are careless, indifferent, or vengeful and do not live by the golden rule.  Whether folks choose to believe it or not, when Adam and Eve listened to the devil and violated what God had commanded them, the floodgates of sin were opened, and we suffer because of that.  Even if Adam and Eve had not sinned in the Garden of Eden, one of their offspring would have.  Matter of fact, one of their sons committed murder, killing his own brother.  We think we know better because we are more educated or have learned from experience, but the daily news reports prove differently.  Because God gave men and women free will, there always was and is the potential to sin.

The above verse from Psalms was written by David after the LORD rescued him from the harm that his enemies, including Saul, intended to lay on him.  He recognized that it was by the power and might of God through His grace that brought David to a place of safety.  He described God with words that are used when speaking of protection and safety.  God is like a rock, firm, secure, unmovable, solid, and impenetrable.  He is the foundation of a secure and sure eternal abode.  He will also crush His enemies as a rock crushes an insect.  God as a fortress is a place of protection.  No enemy can enter there.  No one in this fortress need fear anything.

God delivers us from the darkness of evil into the light of His righteousness.  He gives us the strength to carry on each day even though the road gets rough and the obstacles are many.  God is our buckler, or shield, from the fiery darts of the devil.  He protects us from dangers both seen and unseen.  God is the horn, or power of our salvation.  Last, but certainly not least, God is our high tower, from which we are lifted above the threat of our enemies.  They can’t reach us as long as God lifts us up with His right hand of mercy and grace.

The spread of the coronavirus has most everyone concerned, and it could get a lot worse before it gets better.  We just need to stay calm and not panic.  As the old football quote goes, “the best defense is a good offense”.  We just need to use common sense, being careful and considerate of others, and trusting the LORD that He will protect us from harm.  King David went through a lot of turmoil in his life, some of it he brought on himself, but because he trusted God, he was kept safe and secure from his enemies.  Yes he did have hardships, because none of us get through life unscathed, but he sought the LORD through them all.  We need to pray not only for ourselves and our families, but also for those who are the most vulnerable among us, the older and infirm folks.  We also must remember to pray for all those who neglect to pray.  No one has ever turned down my offer to pray for them.  God honors the prayers of those who love and serve Him.  Stay alert, don’t panic, and trust the LORD.  With God’s help, that’s what I hope to do.