Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusts in Thee.
Isaiah 26:3 MLB
Recently a popular comedian commented on the liftoff of astronauts bound for the International Space Station: “They left earth—good choice!” Sometimes life almost feels like more than we can take—the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, uncertain future, economic distress, America in turmoil, worries about COVID-19 spiking, peaceful protests turning violent.
I’ll never forget an anonymous quote someone gave me years ago: “Refuse to be discouraged by the many signs that planet earth is the insane asylum of the solar system.” Indeed! It seems at times that the whole world is going crazy. God gave humans brains—why don’t people use them? Is reason not better than rage? Why can’t folks protest without vandalism? Will our nation survive all this? Will we ever learn from history?
As Christians, we want to do the right things. We can and should pray for our president, governors, mayors, law enforcement personnel, and fellow citizens. We can and should check on our neighbors and ask if they need help during these unprecedented times. We can and should stay in close contact with our family and
do what we can to stay close to them. And we can and should ask the Lord to give us wisdom and grace to show compassion to all, remembering Plato’s advice—“Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
In the “eye” of a hurricane, the center area of the storm—winds are mostly calm. In the midst of pandemonium, there is peace for the trusting heart. Trusting the Prince of Peace, let’s KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.
(c) Johnny R. Almond
Pastor, Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church
Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity
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