Encouragements for our troubled times No. 22
COVID-19 Series | Date: 20 August 2020
The Elders and Deacons want to encourage the members and those who regularly meet with us through this weekly letter. If you have news which you would be happy to share with the fellowship or request for prayer, then please let us know.
A message from our Pastor
Psalm 91:7-8
"A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked."
We live in a fallen world and among fallen men and women, and as a consequence, we see the results of the fall all around us. Events like Covid19 are a stark reminder to us of the reality of the fall. But, even though we must walk through this fallen world we need not fear any evil because we are in God’s hands and all our days are in His loving care.
In verses 7 & 8 the psalmist reflects on this truth.
Firstly, in verse 7, the psalmist tells us how calm we can remain in the face of a terrible calamity. If a thousand were to fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand how terrible that would be. It would be natural for us to feel some anxiety and be concerned that we may be next. But the psalmist tells us that we do not need to be anxious because it shall not come near us. Now, he does not mean that Christians do not die in natural disasters or violent conflicts. What the psalmist means is that just because people are falling all around us and succumbing to a plague right next to us we have nothing to fear because we are in the Lord’s hands and nothing can befall us unless our loving Heavenly Father allows it. We are safe in His keeping and under Divine protection at all times no matter how bad things get around us.
Secondly, in verse 8, the psalmist tells us that what we are witnessing at such times is the temporal judgements of God upon man for his wickedness and as such it will not be the reward of the righteous. Now again, this does not mean that we cannot be affected by these things as a consequence of these judgements upon the wicked. For us, when we are affected by these things, they are God’s chastisements, His trials of our faith or His call home; all of which are meant for our good and not as a judgement upon us. So we may see the reward of the wicked but we can rest in this confidence that, if we are Christ’s blood-bought children, their reward shall not be ours because there is now no condemnation for those to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, as the Lord’s people, we have nothing to fear from Covid19, for we are safe in His keeping. Of course, we must do what we can to keep ourselves safe, but we must not act out of fear for ‘a thousand may fall at our side, and ten thousand at our right hand; but it shall not come near us.’