March 30, 2020 -- Psalm 119:141 -- We are small, God is Infinite
/I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
Psalm 119:141 English Standard Version
While taking my morning stroll I saw this driveway chalk message which was obviously scrawled out by a child. Surrounded by rainbows and in multi-coloured tall, wobbly, letters it read:
Together we are stronger than Covid-19.
How sweet. How wrong. How misguided.
The pathway to victory begins where the psalmist begins: I am small and despised. The fact is we do not have strength to save ourselves from this or any other crisis. Ironically, together we are vulnerable to infection. We truly are small and so helpless in the face of this pandemic. The psalmist continues and gives the reason we do not abandon all hope and just wait for death: yet I do not forget your precepts.
The precepts of God are the works He commands or appoints to be done. God the great and glorious ruler of all things calls for Christians to be faithful no matter their circumstances. He has appointed the rule for living—and He Who appointed such things already knew of wars, of pestilence, of financial ruin, of pandemics, of locust plagues and so on. I believe the challenge for us as Christians in the West is that we have grown accustomed to times of stability so that we have learned to rely on ourselves, our bank account, our government, our own skills and our own resourcefulness. This pandemic teaches us once again to lift our eyes to heaven, to the God of our salvation.
Today we are confronted with the fact we are small and despised. We are powerless to help ourselves. All our help comes from the LORD Who has appointed for us rules for living. We are called to worship Him alone. We are call to trust Him. We are called to live as people who love and trust God above all else. We are appointed to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. This morning the sun rose at its appointed time, as it did pre-pandemic and will post-pandemic. The seasons are changing as they did pre-pandemic and will post-pandemic. Christians who are awakened to how much we took our faith for granted will now realize we are to offer faithful service to the Living God of Glory and serve Him in fruitful times and lean times, in sickness and in health, in poverty and riches, in every circumstance because we know our King is fully in charge.
Lord our God, help us in these days when so many around us are consumed with fears to place our trust fully in You alone. We are Your children. We know we are small and despised—all our efforts cannot add one minute to our lives and all our worry cannot even change the colour of our eyes. But You have numbered our days according to Your vast wisdom. You have appointed the colour of our eyes and the timing of our lives to fulfill Your purposes. In view of this help us to trust You more and more as we worship You and serve You. No matter the opinions of the world and dire pontifications of so called experts You are the Rock of our Salvation. Blessed are You, O LORD, Triune God of majesty. Amen.
