“If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)

It seems the contagion known as COVID-19 is constantly evolving in its deadly grip on our nation. The virus is incredibly contagious, and Carroll County has made national headlines with a severe outbreak reported in a Mt. Airy nursing home. In one day, the number of confirmed cases in our backyard jumped from seven to 84. Governor Hogan did well to enforce the current restrictions, and I would urge you to honor the guidelines that have been set forth by state and local authorities.

I’m not sure what crisis had engulfed Israel when David wrote Psalm 11, but the majority opinion was for the king to pack up and leave town. There was panic in the air. His question about “foundations” refers to the undergirding of societal structure. The Hebrew word conveys being “woven together” and suggests that the very fabric of society was unraveling.

It seems we find ourselves in a similar situation. Many are dealing with great fear and stress these days. Gripped by financial fears, health concerns, or job security, they wonder how it all bodes for their future. How we respond to pandemic depends on how we process the crisis in our minds. The “present distress” provides a great opportunity for a foundation check.

Review your theology.

A.W. Tozer’s words remind us that “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us…God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves…How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none.”

Perhaps the best way to review our theology, what we believe about God, is by going through the Psalms, many of which sprung from the crucible of severe testing and remind us of three crucial truths about God:

1. God is sovereign. When fear cries out that the foundations might be destroyed, in the very next verse David says, “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven.” COVID-19 did not take him by surprise. We know that if the Lord allowed this to happen, we can be sure that he can bring good from it and get glory by it.

2. God cares. The Lord is never indifferent to our pain nor deaf to our cries. Consider the following verses from the Psalter:

• “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.” (Psalm 94:18)

• “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16)

• “Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.” (Psalm 26:2-3)

3. God is with us. How often have believers testified to the comfort of the Lord’s presence in difficult times. He is near us in our troubles. The Psalmist wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) Ponder David’s famous words in Psalm 23, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me.”

Reassess your faith.

Perhaps you’ve wondered why God would allow pandemic. The obvious answer is that we live in a fallen world that groans in its bondage to corruption. We understand that plagues, wars, and natural disasters fall upon our world due to the curse of sin brought about by man’s rebellion against God.

However, whenever trials interrupt our personal lives, it is possible to discern the Lord’s hand in them by asking ourselves three questions:

1. Is God chastening me? Is there something in my life that needs to change? Or is God calling our entire nation to repentance? C.S. Lewis said, “pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” We wonder if the Lord is shouting at the world with this megaphone of pandemic.

2. Is God teaching me? Is there something I can learn from this experience that will help me become a better person? What can I glean from this trial that will help me serve God and others better? The Lord often takes us through trials in order to equip us to minister to others who will face the same thing (see 2 Corinthians 1:4).

3. Is God testing me? This is the hard one. Job went through all his trials and suffering without ever really finding out the purpose behind them. In other words, God simply required Job to trust him without question. Knowing what we know about God will sustain us when there are no answers.

Knowing what we know about God will sustain us when there are no answers.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Finally, I urge you to rejoice in the Lord! During this pandemic there are at least three things for which we can be thankful:

1. It could be much worse. Humanity has experienced far more contagious and way more deadly viruses. The Spanish flu of 1918-1919 took at least 50 million lives worldwide, and the Black Death of the 1300s killed one-third of Europe’s population. It would take two centuries for Europe’s population to recover. I’m grateful that we live in a time when technology and science can get in front of this and develop ways to combat it.

2. It teaches us gratitude. In a very short time, we have seen how fragile life can be. When times are good, we tend to take our health and safety for granted. If nothing else, this crisis gives us reason to be thankful.

3. It will pass. Various projections have been made as to when we can expect this to last. Though it is impossible to tell how much longer the virus will disrupt our lives, we are confident that it will pass. So, rejoice in the Lord! The joy of the Lord is our strength. Paul could praise God from a prison cell and David wrote songs in the wilderness. No matter how the storm rages, our confidence in God brings great peace to our hearts. We can rejoice because our foundation is secure. “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy 33:27)