Psalm 71:20-22 20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. 21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once more. 22I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.’
I don’t know about you, but I feel drained. First it was the concern of contracting the Covid Virus. Then it was three months of isolation. Now we are concurrently watching a white police officer choking a black man to death, then riots and looting, then more deaths at the hands of police, then officers being killed, then peaceful protests, all the while our President threatens military force whether Governors approve or not. I’m spiritually tired and emotionally drained from the daily horrors. “We have seen troubles, many and bitter.”
What keeps me going?
• Social distancing and masks seem to be helping reduce the infection rate. I find it encouraging when most people have tried to follow the rules.
• It’s encouraging to see creative, loving ways we have reached out to one another.
• The hope that peaceful demonstrations will become the norm, raising our awareness to injustices around us.
• The belief that justice will prevail; murderers will be sentenced accordingly, whether police officers or civilians.
• My desire for people to come together and discuss concrete ways we may improve our country, especially racially.
• Looters will be prosecuted also. They should not get a free pass as they used the riots personally to steal.
• The belief that our great country, with all its imperfections, will rise to meet this challenge to become even greater.
Without a doubt my greatest source of strength and encouragement comes from our God who “restores my life” and “pulls us up from the depths”. He comforts me. I could not carry on if it were not for my solid relationship with God. Even when the world is turned upside down, God is my center, my calm.
“For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace!” (I Corinthians 14:33)
Pastor Bruce
Please remember that we worship Sundays at 10am in the sanctuary with social distancing. Our services may also be watched and found on the sermons page of this website.