March 13, 2020 -- Psalm 119:132 Peace in God in a time of Corona Virus panic

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

as is your way with those who love your name.

Psalm 119:132 English Standard Version

If you know Scripture quite well, perhaps you hear in our passage today an echo of Numbers 6:24-26:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance [face] upon you and give you peace.

The request of the psalmist is exactly in line with the will of our Father in heaven. It is the Father’s pleasure to be gracious to His children. It is the LORD our God Himself Who commanded His priests to set this blessing on the people of God (Numbers 6:24-26 was that instruction and blessing) so that they would know no matter what they faced, they would never be alone. It is significant to note Israel received this blessing while she was in the wilderness, between the land of Egypt, where she’d just been rescued from slavery, and the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. She was in the wilderness utterly dependent on the faithfulness of God for food and water and protection from enemies.

Ultimately, this passage is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Father sent the Son so that the love, justice and mercy of the Triune God would be fully known. The Father sent the Son and the Son voluntarily stood in our place as the sacrifice for sin. The Father and the Son poured out the Spirit of Holiness on the people of God so that we know with certainty that the Father has turned to us. He names us His sons and daughters. The Spirit applies the accomplished work of Jesus Christ to our lives so that in every part of day and night we experience the grace of God—He is fitting us for heaven. He has turned to us in love—such love that uses every moment and every circumstance of our lives to conform us to the image and likeness of the Son He loves.

We live in difficult times. Governments, proud in their own accomplishments so haughty in their hubris against the Living God, are all trembling and loosening their bowels because of a virus that is 0.1 microns in size. (Note that a human hair is approximately 75 microns in width.) Financial markets are rocked by the fears of this virus and have lost historic (and hysteric) amounts of money in single-day losses. Entertainment industries are shutting down major events—sports, music, and films.

Christians our confidence is this: even as the LORD defended His people in the wilderness, providing food and water and protection from their enemies, we can be sure He will guard and protect us in Jesus Christ. Whatever we face will be for the express purpose of taking our grip off of ourselves, our things and all our false confidences and teaching us once again, our lives are in His hands. He Himself is our peace and He alone is the source of every blessing in our lives. For us to live is Christ, to die is gain. The LORD will turn His face toward us and be gracious to us.

Mighty God, High Rock in the times of storms and floods, thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the wide and far reaching assurances of Scripture that our ultimate goal is not our best life now, but our fullest and best life in eternity with You. Use the circumstances of these times for Your glory and the building up of our precious faith. King Jesus thank You for Your constant prayers on our behalf and for all who You are bringing to Yourself. Spirit of Truth apply the rich blessings of this precious faith in Jesus Christ to every part of our lives so that we will shine as lighthouses of hope to a world that is tied up in fears and anxieties. In Your Church, in our lives, in our world, Holy God, ever blessed, be glorified now and forevermore. Amen.