23rd. April 2020.Daily Devotion.

The Government is telling us that the Covid 19 pandemic is now at its peak. If this is so, then we are at present in the centre of the storm. How long this phase will last, we cannot tell. There may be many more weeks to endure, with surges and retreats in dealing with the virus. It is rare that trouble just goes away, it takes time for it to resolve after the crisis point is past. Recovery can be as tedious as the illness itself; nature has her own way of God given healing and we must be patient in it. Here is today’s entry in Streams in the Desert.

Psalm 138:6-8

6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
8 The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures for ever –
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. (Psalm 138:7)
The Hebrew of this verse literally means to “go on in the centre of trouble.” What descriptive words! And once we have called on God during our time of trouble, pleaded His promise of deliverance but not received it, and continued to be oppressed by the Enemy until we are in the very thick of the battle—or the “centre of trouble”—others may tell us, “Don’t bother the teacher any more” (Luke 8:49).
When Martha said, “Lord, . . . if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21), Jesus countered her lack of hope with His greater promise, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). And when we walk “in the centre of trouble” and are tempted to think, like Martha, that we are past the point of ever being delivered, our Lord also answers us with a promise from His Word: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.”

Although His answer seems so long in coming and we continue to “walk in the midst of trouble,” “the centre of trouble” is the place where He preserves us, not the place where He fails us. The times we continue to walk in seemingly utter hopelessness are the very times He will “stretch out [His] hand against the anger of [our] foes” (Ps. 138:7). He will bring our trouble to completion, causing the Enemy’s attack to cease and to fail.

Considering this, what reason would there ever be for despair? Aphra White.

Pray for peace of mind and perseverance for yourself according to your circumstances and for others who may be finding the limitations of life sore to bear. Continue to pray for those battling Covid 19 and their families and carers. There are those whose lives are drawing to a close. Pray for their peace in Jesus Christ and for grace and comfort for those who love them. I am sorry to record that Mrs Helen Leighton, latterly of Friary Court, died on April 16th. Her family, John and Muriel and their family in Norway have asked me to let you know that she did not die of Covid 19. Her funeral will take place on Monday evening privately at the Crematorium. Do remember her family so far away and unable to attend.

Prayers

O God, you are the author of peace and lover of concord. To know you is eternal life, to serve you is perfect freedom. Defend us your servants from all assaults of our enemies that we may trust in your defence and not fear the power of any adversaries through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Set free, O Lord, the souls of your servants from all restlessness and anxiety. Give us your peace and power, and so keep us that, in all perplexity and distress we may abide in you, upheld by your strength. And stayed on the rock of your faithfulness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Book of Common Order 1994.