“Be Still and Know That I Am God” by Joan Y. Edwards

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”

In this time of fear and reality of the Corona Virus, COVID 19, a friend of mine, Judy Stanley, wrote me with this phrase: “Be still and know that I am God.”

Oh Wow! Powerful words full of double meaning when we have to stay still in our homes to keep the virus from spreading quickly and widely across our world.

Here is another Psalm that may bring you comfort.

Psalm 91:1-16

Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.

Habakkuk 2:1 ESV
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

Our watchposts today are our homes. Those who are on the front line have watch posts that are in the middle of providing services for people in spite of the fact that the virus is all around us.

It is especially hard to protect yourself when you are out and about because there is no scarlet letter on the forehead of those who have it. As a matter of fact, there are from ten to fourteen days when the person who is infected with it, cannot tell themselves.

My great grandfather, Christopher Henry Meyer and his wife, Laura Landis had a terribly sad experience  with Scarlet Fever. It killed two sets of twins they had. Plus they had another child. They didn’t know the germs could stay on toys. They brought the toys down from the attic. The young child died of Scarlet Fever, too. Then they had two boys. One was my grandfather, John Francis Meyer; the other was my great uncle Chuck (Charles) Meyer. They lived a long time. Here’s a picture of Christopher Henry holding me as a baby in 1940. That’s my mother and my sister, Judith Carolyn Meyer (married name Thomson) in the photo with me.  They are all deceased but me.

So glad that my great-grandparents persevered and didn’t give up. They kept believing that things would get better and not give up on having more children.

There are many other passages telling the wisdom of staying still and letting God protect us:  https://www.openbible.info/topics/be_still

One of the prayers that brings me peace, when I can’t get to sleep at night or when my mind is bombarded with negative thoughts, I keep praying it over and over again.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Amen.

God, please have mercy on us!

Kerry Weber has a good Corona Virus prayer:  https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/02/coronavirus-prayer

What is an astounding picture in my mind and reality today is the empty streets. Like a ghost town from western movies. However, this is reality. I watched the broadcast of the Pope yesterday. All the pictures you and I have seen of Rome were filled with people rushing by the side of the Pope to touch his hand. His walk across the street to the church was eerie and filled me with accepting the facts that this COVID-19 virus has made a deadly and feared attack on all parts of our world. Time Square New York, empty. Our highways traffic cut down to a minimal of people doing necessary work to keep us alive.

Doctors, nurses, paramedics, restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, cleaning companies, and the list goes on, and on, and on.

Pope Francis blessing and words of his message  asking God for mercy for all of our world on Friday, March 27, 2020:  You can read the words in thia America Magazine article. Pope Francis compares this time to the time the disciples were in the boat with Jesus during a turbulent storm and they were afraid.

Here are the words of Pope Francis:

“Dear brothers and sisters, from this place that tells of Peter’s rock-solid faith, I would like this evening to entrust all of you to the Lord, through the intercession of Mary, Health of the People and Star of the stormy Sea. From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the whole world, may God’s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace. Lord, may you bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts. You ask us not to be afraid. Yet our faith is weak and we are fearful. But you, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again: ‘Do not be afraid’ (Mt 28:5). And we, together with Peter, ‘cast all our anxieties onto you, for you care about us’ (cf. 1Pet 5:7).”

Here are two sources with words from Pope Francis and activities yesterday.

America Magazine. Read Pope Francis Urbi et orbi Address : Corona Virus and Jesus Calming the Storm https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/27/read-pope-francis-urbi-et-orbi-address-coronavirus-and-jesus-calming-storm

Pope Francis gives a urbi and orbi  for the city and the world blessing and prays for end of corona virus around the world. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-francis-urbi-et-orbi-blessing-coronavirus.html

What words gives you calm, comfort, and faith that you will survive? Please share with me in the comment area.

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Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards, Author
Copyright © 2020 Joan Y. Edwards

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