“Mom, I’m at a job in Woodstock; Janet is at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton with Jon-Marc.  The doctors are going to give her the test results and they would like her to have someone with her.” “Phil, I’m leaving now.”
 
I will never forget that day, those words, and the tears I cried.  Even now, as I write this eleven years later, the memory of that day is vivid, bringing deep emotion and tears.  We thank the Lord that Jon-Marc is entering highschool in the fall.  God spared his life, and guided the family through the diagnosis of Leukemia, the extremely difficult first 2½ years following, conintued treatments, and the very slow improvement since. God has guided the parents through dozens of decisions, and helps them to continue to have a healthy marriage.  None of that could have happened without complete dependence on God and His Word.
 
We are looking at Psalm 119: 105-112 today.  These verses have some very helpful principles and action points to implement when going through dangerous and perhaps life-altering situations.  Let’s take a close look at them.  Remember, none of these are likely new to you, but perhaps you will see them with a different perspective as we consider COVID-19 through the lens of scripture.   
 
105   Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

• God will use His word to light the path of my life to show me where to walk and how and live.

 106   I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.  

•  I need to solemnly promise to keep God's commands with determination and resolve.
  

 107   I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word!

•  I need to admit to God the problem and situation I am facing and acknowledge that He is the one who is able to help me.
  
•  Accept the answer to my prayer for help, no matter how God chooses to answer, yes, no, or not now.
  

 108  Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules.

• I will find something, anything, for which to freely praise God, even in the during devastating times.  This praise may have nothing to do with the problem I am facing.
  
• I will be a student, studying God’s Word.
  

 109  I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.

• Even though my life may be in danger, I will obey God.
  

 110  The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.

• When the enemy tries to destroy me, I will not stray from the teaching and precepts of God.
  

 111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

• I will continue to draw joy from God’s testimonies, His Word, not depending on my situations to bring me happiness.
  

 112  I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.

• I promise to obey God’s “statutes” His laws, forever.
  

 
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 119:105–112). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
 
As you read these verses over several times, what is God saying to you today?
Is there anything God has pointed out to you that will help you to deal with the issues this pandemic is presenting to you?
 
Take a moment to encourage someone else by recording, in the comment field, how God has spoken to you today.
 
The Collingsworth family sing Fear Not Tomorrow.  Listen, it may encourage you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmH5QQSLtNk
 
“May the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding,
keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” 
Philippians 4:7
 

“I wish I could understand why my teen behaves that way.”  “If only Sally understood how I feel.”  “I don’t understand, what should I do?” “I don’t understand why that happened.”
 
Have you ever asked yourself similar questions? Perhaps we need to look at things from a different perspective. Maybe we have asked the wrong questions. The better question might be “What would Jesus do?”  Or is that question is just a cliché, or too simple?  However, when I look at the account of Jesus’ life in Scripture, I see how He connected with people, and how He helped them during difficult situations? I realize I need to do the same thing.
 
Christ repeatedly stopped what He was doing and paid attention to those with whom He came in contact.  Jesus saw them in their situation. We read this in the accounts of the woman at the well, Zaccheus, and when He asked that the children not be sent away, to name a few. Because Jesus is God, He knew their hearts, their needs and their motivations.  He knew their struggles and sins.  Without His omniscient power, how do we understand at a deeper level?
 
First, I read Psalm 119:97-104 several times and found three strategies that helped me better understand God and scripture. These verses also point to three significant outcomes when we understand God’s Word.
 
If you and I met together, I would ask you to look for these approaches and outcomes yourself.  We would sit and discuss together what we each discovered.  Perhaps you will want to stop reading this entry now, and read today’s verses to see what you find. 
 
The words time, think and taste are either written or implied in these verses. I need to spend time with God.  I need to think deeply about Him and His Word.  I need to taste and savour every morsel. Tasting implies more than just a quick popping of something into the mouth.  It indicates chewing on it, enjoying it, and receiving its nutrition. It’s important to fully experience His Word to understand it.  This leads to intimacy with God.  If you have travelled with us through this Psalm, you will realize this whole chapter is about falling in love with God, His Word, and its importance in our lives.
 
Second, I need to apply these same strategies when interacting with others.  Spending time getting to know a person and developing a friendship first is the only way I will gain the privilege of speaking into their life when they have a need.  In return, this person will also know me well enough to come alongside me when I need extra care.
 
Finally, as I meditated on these verses, I realized that time spent with thinking and tasting deep into His Word leads to significant changes in me.
 
I see a change in my actions and attitudes. If I allow the Lord to fill me with His Spirit I will be able to respond with His love, not with my agenda or bias. I will be able to understand others better. I will learn God’s principles that will, in turn, help me discern the needs of others and their viewpoints in a clearer light.
 
What would happen if we used these three tactics: time, thinking, and tasting when we are faced with something we don’t understand when it comes to pandemic issues?  I truly believe we, as followers of Jesus, will respond with much more Christlike actions and attitudes.

 “Ouch!” I had just burned my finger on the toaster. My dad quickly told mom to grab the butter and slather it over the sore finger. Wait, what? Butter on a burn. That’s right.  The year was about 1955; my dad was a Detroit Fireman putting his training into practice.
 
This is just one belief now proven wrong.  That was probably one of the worst ways to treat my burn. Today we know that cold running water brings quick relief to a minor burn. Cold running water protects the skin, stops the burn from spreading, relieves the pain, and reduces swelling.
 
There are many remedies, precautions, and protocols that have been declared absolutely necessary as we endure this pandemic.  Most of these, if not all, will not harm us, and will not increase our risk of contracting  the coronavirus. We are not 100% sure they are effective, but many would rather “err on the side of caution” and follow these to help slow the spread to others. There may come a time when we learn which practices were helpful in the fight against COVID-19 and which were not. Until then, it is probably best to follow these safeguards.
 
There is one thing we can absolutely depend upon.  One thing that has never been proven wrong.  God’s Holy Word.  Today’s scripture portion, Psalm 119: 89-96, should bring us peace and comfort. 
 
If you are feeling anxious, or worried, read these verses a few times to help bring quietness to your soul. As we pause and acknowledge that His word is true, and has been from the beginning of time, God can bring our heart and mind to rest.
 
Job insecurity, financial problems, new or worsening health concerns, and relationship struggles can all add to the anxiety already being experienced. Are you able to agree with the words of the writer?  If you are, tell God that you do believe His Word and are trusting in Him.  If you aren’t able to, but would like to, let God know that.  Ask Him to give you the faith to believe and trust in each word of the Bible.  Spend quiet time reading these verses or other portions that have brought you peace in the past. Review Philippians 4: 4-8.  Ask God to bring that peace into your soul.
 
God knows who reads this blog. I don’t.  My prayer is that each person will realize God’s Word to be unchanging truth.  I pray they will experience His Presence, Peace, Power, and Protection every day.
 
May the peace of God that surpasses all of our understanding
guard and protect you today. – Debi
 

We are looking at Psalm 119: 81-88 today. Wow, I feel like a bouncing ball after reading these verses a few times. The writer does not seem to be “in a good place."  He goes from feeling lost and in need of a life preserver, to trusting in God’s Word.  He knows where his eyes should look, but doesn’t feel the comfort of God in his situation. At one moment he questions God’s timing and reminds God what unbelievers are doing, and the next moment, he declares his belief in God’s Word.
 
Many of us feel the same way right now. We know God’s Word to to true, yet we are faced with new and strange “edicts” from the government, that, at first glance seem to go against God’s teaching. God warns us to always put Him first and obey Him, while at the same time giving to Caesar what is Caesar's. Sometimes Christians disagree about which government laws contravene God’s laws.
 
Be assured, I am not going to tell anyone which governmental instructions to obey, and which ones that do not need to be obeyed. My purpose is to challenge us to be so in tune with the Lord through our personal Bible study and prayer life that we are able to hear what He is saying to us. Let’s be immersed in God’s Word.  Please Review Psalm 119: 89-96
 
When trying to decide which rules to obey when it comes to the Covid-19 “Commands,” ask yourself these questions:

1. Does this rule tell me to do something immoral, illegal , or contrary to one of the 10 Commandments?
2. If I obey this rule, will it help me to “love my neighbour as myself”? (the second most important command after loving God completely) Matthew 22:36-40
   

 
The verses below may have been addressed to young men, but this is a principle we all need to follow when interacting with those with whom we do not agree. 
 
 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.   2 Timothy 2: 6 – 8
 
Following the principles from God’s Word will help us to
discern what His “still small voice” is saying.

Based on: Psalm 119 73 – 80
 
When you read Psalm 119:73–80, do you pick up on the repeated word and sentiment from the previous stanza? The writer continues to point out his delight in God’s word. We know that this is a familiar theme throughout this Psalm. When I read these verses again in preparation for this blog the first verse jumped off the page.  I had read these verses several times, but this time God opened my eyes to something I had not seen before.
 
         Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.[1]
 
The writer presents two streams of thought to us. He begins by reminding us that mankind was created by God, and then in the same sentence he asks God to give him the understanding to learn God’s commandments. Both of these topics are import but the first phrase has my attention today; “Your hands have made and fashioned me.”
 
God Created:
This is not new information, nor a new revelation to me. It is a reminder. God brought this fact into fuller understanding for me. We can be confident in the fact that it was God, the creator of the world who used His own hands to shape and bring into being the very first humans to live on this earth.  One was created from the dust of the earth, and the other created from the flesh of the first. Please do not believe that the first person, Adam, was any more important than the second person, Eve.  In God’s own words she was created to be “a helper, suitable for him.” God created men and women to complement each other.  Whether married or single, man or woman, you benefit by having people of the opposite sex in your life.  Each person brings their unique point of view.  Learn to appreciate each person brought across your path.  Each one will enhance your life experience.
 
God Created Me, Debi Snider
God created and fashioned me to be uniquely me, and to be HIs. He knows I do not appreciate confrontation, that I tend to run from difficult situations. He made me that way.  He knows I rather enjoy being in “lockdown” during COVID. He knows I do not mind at all not speaking to people I do not know well. He knows there are some things that I find easy to keep organized, and that I love my to-do lists.  But He also knows that I can be extremely lazy and at times I ignore my to-do list.
 
Are you a combination of contradictions like I am?  These “weaknesses” are exactly where I need to become more like Christ.
 
Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, Philippians 2:5   
 
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.  2 Peter 3:18
 
Covid-19 Lesson for Debi:  God made me unique, but I am not to use personal weakness[JW1]  as excuses not to strive to be more like Christ. He promises to[JW2]  help us do what we can[JW3] do on our own.
 
 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13
 
I need to set aside my love and desire of being [JW4] alone and force myself to interact with people face to face.  Well, 6 feet apart.  “Speaking” to people through my blog, and other writing, allows me to hide behind the safety of my computer.  This is part of my ministry, but this is not the only way God wants me to connect and minister. 
 
Dear Lord, you are my God, it is you who has fashioned me. I want others to know I am yours. Help me to become more like you each day. Thank you for the promise that you will give me the strength to do and be what I am not able to do and be in my own strength. Show me who I am to connect with today. Give me the words to say, and soften me to have a compassionate heart.
 
What has God said to you through the verses of Psalm 119:73–80?  He does have a message in these verses for you.  Read it enough times so that you know what that message is.  You may think that it is a small, insignificant message, but if He is speaking to you, telling you to do something, it is no small message. 
 
Craft your own prayer to the Lord today.
 


[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ps 119:73). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.