I absolutely hate the damage that I see happenng to so many around me.  No matter how much people are trying to stay in touch, disconnection is happening.  Online church services are great.  Zoom meetings are serving their purpose (sort of).  Facetime calls allow some connection.  But, face to face, human interaction can never be replaced.  I’m still so bothered at the thought of people dying alone.  I’m sad for parents who have to send their children into hospitals all by themselves (this happened to a friend and it wasn’t even COVID-19 related).  I hurt for families who are unable to visit sick loved ones.  I personally know of people who have recently died from natural causes (totally unrelated to the virus) and friends and families are unable to grieve together due to social distancing. Instead, meals, cards, and flowers are being left on porches as they talk to and cry with their loved ones from at least 6 feet away. Those who live alone are desperately lonely.  People are feeling desperate because they’ve lost their job and have no clue how they’ll feed their families.  Suicides are beginning to occur because people are scared, lonely, and feel hopeless.  I recently heard the story of a 99 year old man who committed suicide because he felt our current circumstances signified the end of time and he couldn’t bear to see the end result.  Imagine that.  He lived NINETY-NINE YEARS.  NINETY-NINE!!!  Can you imagine the things he had lived through and the things he had seen?  Yet, fear overtook him.  I’m afraid we will see more and more of this in the days and months to come.  I’m fearful of the psychological damage that is being done to people all across the world.

So, what can we do to combat this?  How can we protect our children?  How can we fight back against the fear, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness?  For my family, I’ve been using Psalm 91.  I think many people have been reading this Psalm as a cry for physical protection which is great.  The Lord has impressed on me, though, to pray this for my family for spiritual protection.  Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  We have an enemy who is on the prowl.  He is walking around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).  He WANTS us to feel despair.  He WANTS us to be depressed.  He enjoys watching us suffer.  He loves the hopelessness that many people are feeling presently.  We MUST be on guard.  Mommas, pray for your husbands and babies (no matter how old they are).  Daddies, pray for your wife and children.  Personalize Psalm 91 and pray this over your household.  

1 We who dwell in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 We will say to you Lord, “Our refuge and our fortress, our God in whom we trust.”

3 For you will deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

Let me stop right there.  With all that our world is facing right now, we, of course, read “deadly pestilence” and think coronavirus.  But, can I tell you something?  Yes, God CAN protect us from earthly things such as disease.  He never promised that He will, though.  Instead, the deadly pestilence I think of here is Satan’s schemes, spiritual harm.  God will absolutely protect us and deliver us from the things that can harm us spiritually.  And THAT’S what matters.  That’s where our hope lies.  

4 You will cover us with your pinions, and under your wings we will find refuge; and your faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

5 We will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

We will not fear the pestilence.  I was looking at the commentary “Barnes’ Notes on the Bible,” and this is what he said about the phrase “the pestilence that stalks in darkness” (Psalm 91:6)  (think of the coronavirus as you read this).  “Not that it particularly comes in the night, but that it seems to creep along as if in the night; that is, where one cannot mark its progress, or anticipate when or whom it will strike. The laws of its movements are unknown, and it comes upon people as an enemy that suddenly attacks us in the night.”  Sound familiar?  I’ve heard countless people say that this virus can be anywhere at any time and we will obviously have no clue because we cannot see it.  We have no clue whom it will strike next.  But, we cannot fear it because it cannot take our souls.  Our souls are what matter and spiritually, God has us covered with His wings.  

7 A thousand may fall at our side, ten thousand at our right hand, but it will not come near us.

8 We will only look and see the recompense of the wicked.

Think of that!  Satan is hurling thoughts of fear at our families.  He’s heaving the idea of hopelessness at us.  But, through God’s protection, he cannot come near us.  We will only look and see what he’s trying, but he will simply fall by our side.

9 Because we have made you, Lord, our dwelling place – the Most High, who is our refuge – 

10 no evil shall be allowed to befall us, no plague come near our tent.

Once again, this is not saying that we will never suffer physical harm.  A relationship with God does not ensure us an easy, pain free life.  It’s actually quite the opposite.   Though He loves us,  adores us, He allows pain.  Actually, BECAUSE he loves and adores us, He allows pain.  This pain perfects us, refines us, makes us more like Christ.  Instead, the plague that will not come near our tent is Satan.  The next time he tries to whisper lies to you, remember that when we dwell in the shelter of God and call Him our refuge, our fortress, our God, he cannot befall us.

11 For you will command your angels concerning us to guard us in all our ways.

12 On their hands they will bear us up, lest we strike our foot against a stone.

13 We will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent we will trample underfoot.

14 Because we hold fast to you in love, you will deliver us; You will protect us because you know our name.

He knows your name!  The creator of the universe knows your name.  He commands His angels to guard your thoughts and your mind.  Pray this for your family that you will be protected from that which can harm you spiritually.

15 When we call to you, you will answer us; You will be with us in trouble; You will rescue us and honor us.

16 With long life you will satisfy us and show us your salvation.

Think about the long life He will give us.  Once again, we aren’t looking with our human eyes, but instead with our spiritual eyes.  My dad was an amazing Christian man and the Lord saw fit to take him at the age of 37.  He didn’t live a long life here on earth.  The long life He will give us is in our heavenly home.  We are just passing through here.  The burdens of this world are only momentary when compared to eternity.

I copied this Psalm in my journal and have been praying it over our family every single day.  Here is the prayer I wrote at the bottom of the page:

“Lord, please hear us.  Protect us.  And not necessarily physically.   Pray we’ll all have our eyes on you and only you.  We can’t look at everything around us.  

Protect us spiritually.  I’m not concerned with physical – no matter what happens, I know eternity is all that matters.  I pray that all six of us plus future spouses and generations to come will follow you and YOU ALONE.  I do not fear physical threats.  Protect us, though, from spiritual threats.”

God’s desire is to cover us with His feathers. He wants to be our shield and buckler.  I encourage you to pray against the possible psychological effects that this period in history can have on your family.  Fear, despair, depression, and hopelessness are what Satan wants us to feel.  But, we have the HOPE and PROMISE of our God who will use all things for our good and who will answer us and be with us in trouble.  Keep your eyes on Him.  Don’t look to the right or to the left.  Ask Him to protect your family both spiritually and mentally.  And whatever you do, DON’T WAIT!