A mandate for these terrible times

Leviticus 6; Psalms 5–6; Proverbs 21; Colossians 4

Bad news. Someone we love dearly had a breakdown and is hospitalized. She is in another country. We cannot travel. She cannot come home. As I came to the Lord again today, He first encourages me with the words of the psalmist.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up. (Psalm 5:3, KJV)

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. (Psalm 5:11–12, ESV)

Look to Him, take refuge in Him. He will protect me and cover me. I am praying He will do the same for this other person. I don’t fully know her spiritual situation, but she needs Jesus and the sense of His presence. Her situation is bad enough but it happens in terrifying times. This pandemic is getting worse.

Before I read the Scriptures, someone called us from the USA. She said that in her part of the world, people are carrying on as if nothing is happening. There is no isolation, distancing or caution. She firmly declared that the biggest reason is this rationale of ‘what is true for you is true for you and what is true for me is true for me’ — because it has replaced objective truth. In other words, if someone believes that Covid-19 is not serious, then for them, it is not serious.

The Bible gave me this verse: “One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead” (Proverbs 21:16) and I shuddered. Other verses say the same thing:

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

That view of truth is not working. The news says New York will run out of ventilators in a few days. Bodies are being stored in refrigerated trucks. Hundreds are dying every day in that city along. A self-centered view of truth cannot changed those realities.

Human ideas are failing humanity! We need to seek His face. “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.” (Proverbs 21:30)

All that said, what can I do about this? I’m not a doctor or in any position with any skills to do much. But I can pray. For that, God gives more instruction. As usual, He focuses on eternal destiny more than current problems. We will all die eventually, virus or not, and need to make sure we are ready for that.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. (Colossians 4:2–4)

For those who don’t know Jesus, I’m to make the message clear. I want people to know Jesus so when death comes, they are not fearful but excited to see His face.

I’m also to do it with the right attitude:

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5–6)

For those who are already believers, I can pray for maturity and a true picture of God’s will. Some think that just because they are Christian, they are exempt from this virus. Again, we all die, virus or not. The issue in the time we have before that ‘promotion to glory’ is that we live as Jesus wants us to live. I’m to pray for that for His people, myself included:

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12)

APPLY: See above, but also take this seriously. I’ve never had more time or reason to pray. One of my prayers is that the people of God will be doing the same thing . . . seeking His face and looking up for His truth, direction and strength to obey whatever He tells us.

Early morning priorities

. . . He leads me beside still waters. (Psalm 23:2)

This morning I changed my routine, partly because I am in holiday mode. I slept in, started a backup on my computer while getting dressed and let it run while having some breakfast. After that, the computer was still whirring so I prayed until it was done, then opened my devotional guide and read about the importance of a morning quiet time with God. It is not a legalistic ritual but preparation of my heart for the day and the day for my heart.

The illustration came from a shepherd who said when he led his sheep to a clean, quiet stream for a drink, they often stopped and drank from the polluted and muddy pools along the way. Yuck! While I was not relying on this morning’s stuff along the way in the same way I rely on God’s Word, I could see how doing so would affect me. Besides settling for less, one thing quickly leads to another and the clock keeps ticking until I look at it and say, “Where did the day go?”

In the wilderness days of Israel, God fed them with manna. This pictures the daily need for spiritual bread and has some interesting parallels. One of them was that they must gather it early in the day. “Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.” (Exodus 16:21)

I’ve noticed that when my quiet time with God gets delayed too long, I’m often frustrated and anxious. Melted is a good word. Part of that problem is because I missed it, and the other part is because I missed it! Inside me is this hunger for God. Without being fueled up, my spiritual life is out of tune and I feel out of sorts. He gives me more energy and a clearer head than I would otherwise have. However, God also blesses the day. When I spend time to hear His thoughts and gain His strength, problems are reduced, even more easily solved. Those things that are out of my control do not become frustrating issues. I change, but so does the day become bright and easier to deal with.

The psalmist writes, “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” (Psalm 5:3) I echo that. Sometimes a quiet time with God seems like a sacrifice, depending on the to-do list and on the weather. Sunshine beckons. But God wants me to give Him the best part of my time that I might watch Him and see what He will do.

As for the muddy pools, they might not seem like that, especially if God’s sheep have never experienced anything better. Some might have a “quiet time” reading the newspaper, having a second cup of coffee, or smoking a cigarette in a comfy chair on the patio. But a quiet time with God transforms His people as well as our day when we make that a priority, even when it seems a sacrifice. On the other hand, putting muddy pools first or using them as a replacement or substitute does not bring the same blessing. Israel found that out the hard way . . .

Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:11–13)

It took me longer than usual this morning to get here, and how like God to give me this warning to take care and not let anything change my glory (which is God Himself) into anything else, or try to use anything else to satisfy my thirsty soul.

Prayer is an attitude . . .

A few months ago, I asked the Lord, among other things, to transform my prayer life. Not long after that, a raging spiritual battle began. It was unexpected and fierce, but it changed how I pray and how often I pray. Even as I feel scarred and weak from this war against my soul, I am glad that God answers prayer, even answers in surprising ways.

One thing yet to have changed is being able to pray as commanded in these verses, “without ceasing . . .”  

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:12–25)

As I read through this today in context, obviously if anyone is going to do all that is outlined here, they would need to constantly pray! Life is filled with reasons and excuses to disrespect others, ignore their needs, and grumble and complain. I cannot be anything close to the description above without relying on Jesus Christ, and my connection to His grace and power is prayer — constant prayer.

The psalmist learned this too and had several things to say about his own prayer life. I can learn from these verses how God wants me to pray . . .

With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes. I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. (Psalm 119:145–148)

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. (Psalm 5:3 NKJV)

Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. (Psalm 55:17)

Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! (Psalm 57:8)

From these and other passages, I realize I need to rise early for prayer. With the day ahead of me, better to get my heart in tune with the heart of God — before I start off on the wrong foot, before I get bombarded with whatever my spiritual enemies might throw at me, and before I have any opportunities to rely on myself for anything.

Yesterday, I tried this by getting up a bit earlier and attempting to change my schedule so prayer was closer to dawn than it has been. It didn’t work. The distractions were incredible and the whole day seemed messed up. As I think about this now, it seems as if everything was pitted against me, and in my experience, this means it was a good idea. Satan never tries to interfere with bad ideas.

Prayer without ceasing is not a spiritual exercise that I can perform. Rather, it is the atmosphere in which God wants me to live, starting with the moment I wake up. It then should continue all day and influence my sleep and even my dreams. Perhaps the desire to do this will mean more warfare, but because this is the will of God, He will be fighting for me.

Looking Up

Jesus was in demand. Everywhere He went people brought their sick for Him to heal. In one instance, they brought a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, begging Him to lay His hands on him.
 

I’m thinking of the demands made on me. People call for information, or a favor, or the use of my skills. Sometimes I deliver, but not always. Sometimes the demands flatter me, or annoy me, but Jesus never felt that way. He always delivered because He never relied on Himself.

And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” (Mark 7:34)

As today’s devotional reading says of this verse, sinful people are not always quick to look up. Too often I sigh and look within, or down or to the earth and the things of this world, or to other people. Jesus sighed, but He looked outward and up to heaven, up to His Father. He did the same on many occasions, such as when He fed the multitudes.

And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. (Mark 6:41)

Another example of this attitude comes from King David, whom God called a man after His own heart. While David made mistakes, he always turned toward the Lord and demonstrated the same attitude as Jesus did.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. (Psalm 5:3)

Others also set an example for me in this, such as my husband who is quick to look up with a humble and thankful heart. 

Putting these thoughts together, I know that an attitude of looking up is part of what it means to be like Jesus. Even as God, He was also fully human and demonstrated to His people how we should live as servants of the Most High. When people make demands on me, or when anything happens, I also need to be quick to look up.

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Lord, I know the reason for looking up. This is how to acknowledge You as the source of all good things, as the One who takes care of me. Thank You. Always keep my eyes and heart looking in Your direction, for I realize that I need You to be able to do even that.