In the light of the international health crisis, and the unprecedented appeal from our President for the total lockdown we are currently experiencing, I think it is fair to say that we are facing a serious and grave emergency at this time.

On the one hand, there is a great deal of gloom and doom, with the media, fake news and ‘prophets’ of doom feverishly feeding the fear and uncertainty gripping the hearts of many. On the other side, there is a great deal of casual flippancy, contempt and disregard for the reality we are all facing right now.

There are also radically different opinions and messages from a biblical or spiritual point of view in addressing all we are going through. This is inevitable, but it can also exacerbate the very real concerns we are all grappling with. For example, ever since the onset of the coronavirus, I have personally been struck and encouraged by the many Facebook, WhatsApp and other posts quoting the most wonderful and reassuring scriptures and other messages of hope.

“Psalm 91, which is known as the protection psalm, is of course a classic example. Verse 2 says: He (God) is my refuge and my fortress. My God in whom I trust.”

And verse 3 says: He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge. Verse 6 reads: You shall not fear nor the pestilence (in our situation is the virus) that strikes in the darkness nor the plague. (you couldn’t get it put clearer than that) that destroys at midday. How incredibly applicable are these words of scripture for us in this day and age?

Verse 10 seems to be one of the all-time favourites: No harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. (that is your home), and the most popular of all the promises is surely verse 11: For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you, in all your ways.

But sadly, not many of these promises include the preceding verses, which is often the conditions laid out by our Lord in order for those promises to be realised. This error is so common and is so typical of our human nature – we all like the good bits but forget or neglect the other bits which actually put it all in context.

“For Psalm 91 verse 1 says clearly: He who dwells (that is who stays) in the shelter of the Almighty will rest in the shadow of the Almighty, verse 9 says: If you make the Most High your dwelling place – even the Lord who is my refuge and verse 10: Then no harm will befall you no disaster will go near your tent. (emphasis mine).”

It is imperative that we get the full picture; this psalm is not necessarily pertaining to our salvation, which is by God’s grace though faith in Christ, but it is a psalm about our relationship of submission and trust in the Lord no matter what, rather than merely a psalm of wonderful protection by the Lord.

After all, for us Christians it holds the hope of eternal life in Christ. We need to carefully decide what is really important in life and should be living life in the light of death. That will help us keep focus on God and eternity and on what really matters in His eyes.

We should use this time of lockdown to ask the Lord to help us, to get our priorities in life in order.

A prayer – Almighty God, we so desperately need Your protection and all the other benefits of being Your special children, only help us by Your Holy Spirit in relationship with Your Holy Son to fulfil all that You require of us in obedience to You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

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