Psalm 142: 5 So I cried out to you, Lord, my only hiding place. You’re all I have, my only hope in this life, my last chance for help. 6 Please listen to my heart’s cry, for I am low and in desperate need of you! Rescue me from all those who persecute me, for I am no match for them. 7 Bring me out of this dungeon so I can declare your praise! And all your godly lovers will celebrate all the wonderful things you’ve done for me![1]
All week we’ve been looking at the story of David when he was in the cave as he ran from King Saul and the Philistines. These devotions coordinate with our radio show which was recorded sixteen weeks ago. It takes this long to get everything produced and lined up for our radio stations. Sixteen weeks ago, we hadn’t even heard of the corona virus and never would have imagined what is currently happening. But God knew.
David was trying to stay safe from people who wanted him dead. We are trying to stay safe from a disease that could kill us. David had lost his job, wife, and best friend. Many of us have lost income and are isolated from friends and family. But David can act as a mentor for us in this time.
God didn’t cause Saul to want to kill David and I don’t think God caused this pandemic. Evil and disease entered this world at the fall. God has created us and knows how we can live in the best way. Thus, He has given us rules, not to be mean but because He loves us. We understand running machinery within the specifications of the manufacturer. When you try to make a machine do something it was not designed to do, trouble happens. It is the same with us. When we choose to do something against God’s laws, trouble happens.
Another analogy might help to explain this. When we are obedient to God, we stay under His protective umbrella. God structured this world so that we could choose to love and obey Him. True love must be a choice, it can’t be forced. But God took a chance that we might choose to disobey. When we choose to disobey, we begin to wander away from God’s protective umbrella. Instead of being sheltered from the rain, we walk out into the storm. Some people would call this judgement, but in reality, we do it to ourselves.
We are a very individualistic culture and think that our actions only affect ourselves, but if we look closely at the exodus of the nation of Israel, we can see the actions of a few affect the whole camp. (Exodus 32, Numbers 11, 21, Joshua 7) As a nation, many have adopted a morality different from what God gave us in the Bible. Our actions do have consequences.
But our God is a loving, redeeming God who, like any good father, can use this whole situation as a teaching opportunity. As a pastor, I would inwardly cringe when parishioners would tell me that they bought a new camper or cabin, or that their son or daughter had made the traveling sports team. Was it because I don’t like camping or sports? Not at all. We have adapted our minivan to use as a camper in the summer. I was a four-year letter winner in softball, basketball, and track in high school. I played two years of intercollegiate basketball and was on recreational softball and racquetball leagues for years. I love camping and sports. No, I cringed because people would choose recreational activities over worship. Often whole families would be gone for the entire summer or season.
Exodus 20: 1And God spoke all these words: 3 “You shall have no other gods before me…8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. [2]
During this time of “safer at home,” our recreational activities have been taken away. Our ability to meet as a church body is also gone. I think God can redeem this time as we have a chance to reprioritize what is important to each of us. We have been removed from the busyness that draws us away from God and have time, if we choose, to reconnect with our creator God. We have a chance to say with David, “You, Lord, are all I have, my only hope in this life. God gives us grace to repent. 2 Chron. 7: 13 When I (God) close the sky so that there is no rain, or command the locusts to destroy the land, or send sicknesses to my people 14 and if my people who are called by my name become humble and pray, and look for me, and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin and heal their land.[3] We can also anticipate the praise that will result when God moves to end our crisis.
To hear more about David and how God helped him, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/david-and-his-songs-the-early-years/the-god-of-refuge
[1] The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC.
[2] Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission.
[3] Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International