Morning
Psalm 97
1 Cor. 15:30-41
Evening
Psalm 15
Exodus 12:40-51
Hymn
Prayer
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his
disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith,
that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives
and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever. Amen.
Devotional: Psalm 97
From Rev. Martin Antoon:
I have three memories that stand out as my earliest of my life. The first was an incredibly unremarkable day one morning in three-year-old preschool. I don’t know why I remember it. The second was cutting a chunk out of my hair when I was four. Maybe slightly more significant, but still not that noteworthy in the grand scheme of things. But I also have another memory from my four-year-old days. For whatever reason, I decided to stick a paper clip in an electrical socket. You could blame me for my lack of knowledge of simple electrical currents, or you could blame the apparent lack of oversight from whatever teacher was supposed to be watching. But I remember a loud buzzing noise, which was followed by a teacher walking over to me, not saying a single word, picking me up, and promptly setting me down somewhere else. And the question I remember thinking to myself was this: “Why did she do that?”
As the virus continues its global course, something is becoming clear. The reason we are collectively so unsettled is not just because we worry for our safety. After all, we do things all the time that, in theory, jeopardize our well-being. The fear of the virus lies in the fact that we truly have no idea what the next months, or maybe even year, could hold. It’s scary. We want to know that somebody is in control.
What does the Psalmist mean when He says “The Lord reigns?” We use that language a lot. Simply put, it means two things are true. Nothing happens outside of God’s control, and God works all things together for good for those who love Him. It might, at times, leave us asking the question “Why did He do that?” We might truly suffer in the midst of everything going on, but we can take comfort in one thing: though we may not have the answers, God does. He invites us to ask the question knowing that it will ultimately strengthen our dependence on Him. The answer to my four-year-old-self’s question is painfully obvious now. I just didn’t have the understanding required to see it at the time. Thankfully, the person in charge did. We don’t have the wisdom to understand God’s master plan, but thankfully we can trust that He does.