QUARANTINED

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful

unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee:

yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I

make my refuge, UNTIL these

calamities be over past.

Psalm 57:1

We're hearing the word “quarantined” a lot lately, and with a gush of thought has come a memory I think little of unless reminded in a way like today's circumstances. I was in the first grade when one morning I woke up with itchy little bumps all over my body. It was frightening for a little kid because I hadn't seen them the night before. I didn't even have a name for it, but my Mother sure did the minute she saw me...”Chicken Pox....oh no.” She got on the phone to the doctor who confirmed what it was with Mother's description of my looks.

I was told I couldn't go to school. That didn't sound too bad although with time, life was a little boring. The worst part of the whole thing was that first day when a man showed up from City Hall. I was sitting on the swing of our porch. He asked me to go into the yard, but not out of it. I don't think he wanted to be around me. Mother had said that Chicken Pox was something others could get from being around me. The man didn't even knock on our front door. He took some nails out of is pocket and put them between his two front teeth...that was odd. Then from his belt came a hammer. He already had a yellow sign in his hand probably a little longer and wider than a legal size sheet of paper. He nailed that sign onto the front wall of our house to the upper side of our front door. The sign was of heavy cardboard. I just remember the one big black word on it “QUARANTINED.”

It was explained to me that the sign warned people to stay away from our house and especially me because what I had was “catching.” I could be in the yard, but if anyone walked up I had to get to the porch. It had to be that way until I was “all better”. Only then would the man come back and take the sign down leaving four holes in the wall.

Being quarantined in our day doesn't require a sign by the door, but it's just as inconvenient, especially for adults who aren't used to staying put for any length of time. We Christians need to realize that God knows what's going on and I believe He wants us to take advantage of these different days. Every minute of our lives with God is important to Him and thus should be important to us.

We are a busy people. We come and go often on a whim. Jobs may keep folks busy as do responsibilities when workers get home. There are always things to be done, people to see and places to go. But now, things have come to a stand still. Routine is different, children are home from school, need things from the grocery store and enjoyable activities cease...even church.

In all this disruption in our lives, what are some things that might please God during this time of isolation The word “isolation” is almost offensive. It means that for some reason, we have to be put to one side, away from friends, co-workers and even family as much as can be. As Christians, however, our viewpoint must be different from all others. Where the world is in a panic, you and I can know a peace that only our Lord can give and maintain in our lives.

Despite the inconveniences of these days, I know that God won't waste a crumb of this experience. I've also learned that if I don't learn the things He desires right now, He'll put me through a retest down the road. It can be far worse than the first testing time.

Along with tiring of any virus news on TV and refusing to watch most of it, we can find ourselves a little bored with all the spiritual advice we get from various sources that all sound the same. We mustn't let those encouraging words roll off of us despite their repetition. I can't hear enough that in these days of isolation, God is very present in my “now-ness” and in very personal ways. This is not “spiritual coat tail” time. I can't ride on someone else's spiritual experience. I want to sense and know the presence of Jesus in my life like never before, One on one. We mustn't waste precious moments in this new process we find ourselves in. Remember, God always has a plan.

Dear Father, there's so much information coming and going our way these days. Keep drawing us to Your Word, the only real accurate information we have to keep us strong and close to You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your constant presence and teaching. In Jesus precious name...Amen

BE OF GOOD COURAGE

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear,

but of power, and of love,

and of a sound mind

II Timothy 1:7

It was November, 1968 and I had done everything I could do toward my coming wedding set for February of 1969. Looking back, I'm so glad I had done all of that. My final task was to go to the doctor for a blood test that was required in our state to get a marriage license. All I had wrong was a slight cold which didn't count for much toward getting that permit slip. The kind doctor suggested I get an inoculation for the Hong Kong flu that had been going around. I know he meant well, but later I learned that folks were warned against getting that inoculation if you had a cold of any kind.

The next day, I went to work, not feeling well and got so sick someone had to get me home where I was living with dear friends prior to the wedding. By that evening, I was so sick I wouldn't have cared if I had died. I never had been nor since been so sick with the high fever, chills, a swollen esophagus that felt like I had a large lump I couldn't swallow or cough up. Called the doctor and couldn't go to the hospital...it was full. I was given much the same instructions one hears today under the same circumstances. I was in bed for about a week and then did further recuperating for another week or ten days.

Here's what was odd as I look back. I knew our hospital was full, but knew nothing of this deadly flu being anywhere else to speak of. If there was any broadcasts about the flu, I didn't see them. It would have heaped defeat on top of despair. I later learned that there were 1 million infected persons world wide who died of the Hong Kong flu. I didn't even know the scope of things in the United States. I learned later that 34,000 in America died of that flu. I was so grateful to be a survivor for more reasons than I could name.

Here's the kicker....I didn't spend hours by a radio or TV listening to statistics about the flu. I didn't need to hear anything about it all. People are not equipt in our day to listen to this kind of information day in and day out. In my day, schools weren't closed down nor were churches or ballgames. Life went on. Folks who were ill stayed home and took care of themselves. Staying out of crowds may help in some instances, but shutting off life does nothing but bring people to despair. We can all stay in houses with shuttered windows, but even a family member may have been exposed outside the home. There are just some things over which we have NO control.

Right now, people who are Christians are about as fearful as those without Christ. With all I've seen or heard on the news, I've heard very little said even mentioning God in anyway. I finally heard it this morning on the news from the owner of a pro ball team. He mentioned how God is in charge of everything and knows what is going on. I wondered where that kind of thing has been in these days of panic. God has provided for our strength and peace in the hardest of times. Fear isn't an option with God as our opening verse tells us.

As Christians, we do very little to prepare ourselves for hard times. If we haven't gone through them, not in one right now, there is one lurking around a corner. Ours is a feel-good society. We do all to keep ourselves happy and healthy and want that for everyone around us. However, such theories just aren't reasonable. Reality tells us life can be tough. God never intended for all of this to happen. He created a perfect earth with two perfect people. There was no sickness, negativity of any sort. Sin changed all of that and that is what we continue to deal with to this day. Weather can be a mess, roses have thorns and people suffer from any number of diseases, just to name a few of the things we deal with because of sin infesting two people and the earth itself.

Moses gave some final words to Joshua as Joshua was about to take over leadership of the Israelites. I can't imagine how he felt, but Moses knew of Joshua's concerns. He knew Joshua was afraid. Moses spoke in the book of Joshua, encouraging him with words we would do well to take seriously in these days of anxiety and concern. I hope some of them will encourage your heart. They give us a good prescription for survival in any days of difficulty we are forced to face.

This book of the law shall not depart out of

thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day

and night that thou mayest observe to do according

to all that is written therein: for then thou

shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou

shalt have good success.

Have not I commanded thee?

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,

neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy

God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:8,9

Here we have some worthy suggestions for us in these days. Be in the Word, meditate on it forcing us to think the right things instead of dwelling on news reports. Be an encourager a positive support with friends and families. We are commanded to be strong and courageous....no choice... and God equips us for that with His constant presence in our lives.

Dear Father, we need You desperately in these days. We know You love us and want what is best in our lives. Help us to keep our focus on You, Your power and Your Sovereignty. Nothing can slip Your attention. We ask for healing for so many who are ill and for healing for our land and world. In Jesus precious name...Amen

CULTURE AT A LOSS

Woe unto them, that call evil good, and
good evil; that put darkness for light, and
light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20

Living where we do, a stone's throw from the national park, it isn't unusual for an alert to go out that someone has lost their way in the park during a hiking trip. There have been times when a child wandered away from parents and became lost. One thing that has been suggested to hikers, especially children or new folks to the park, has been that when one realizes he is lost, to stop where he is, sit down and wait for help to come. The tendency even when lost and in a panic is to continue wandering hoping to see some place or some thing familiar. It can get where all trees look alike so that the lost one can wander aimlessly becoming more and more lost.

When lost in the daylight, a lost hiker may still feel hope of rescue until evening begins to set in. When darkness falls, in a setting like ours here, there is real panic...there are shadows, strange sounds...even various animal sounds of those that wander through the forest at night foraging for food. The darkness becomes a serious enemy for one who is completely lost, who cannot focus or see anything clearly. The lost hiker is thrilled beyond words seeing the glow of a flashlight or hearing a call from a nearing rescue person.

Scripture speaks in several areas about darkness, mostly a spiritual darkness that we can become exposed to or even find ourselves in the very middle of. Should such happen in our own lives, the suggestions of the national park I think apply here. We need to stop wandering around trying to find answers that often aren't anywhere to be found. Most of us in those circumstances need to just sit down and quietly wait for the Lord to come and minister to our spirits. He will often do that as we refer to His guidebook.

The above verse speaks to where many in our country are with regard to morals and standards...good is no longer just good, and evil is coming to be seen in more of a good and positive light. What used to be wrong behavior and lifestyles are now being accepted as being normal. Our culture tells us that things anymore aren't just black and white, but morals and standards are viewed as being more gray where people can decide for themselves what is good or evil. When this mentality sets in, in reality, a person has come into the realm of darkness and has fled the light God intends for each of us.

Many of us can look back to days that were more civil, when authority was respected, where good character was evident in school rooms and in the halls of government. My question is, “What happened.” I can recall honorable politicians, at least for the most part. If you had a TV, you got the local evening news with informative information..no drama. Somewhere our culture let a lot of really good things go. Electronics have played a huge part with TV's, computers, all sorts of phones, etc. Hand held computer devices teach children how to be unnecessarily aggressive, even to the point of killing. However, behind all of those things resides in the hearts of people wanting to find their way, a way out of unhappiness and boredom.

I've decided that what our country needs is a good old sweeping revival in the worst of ways. We can't go back and change the past, but we can be a part of changing the future, one by one. First, the greatest need of any people is an acceptance of Jesus as Savior. Without Him in one's heart, life will be spent living life at Satan's bidding. 

 As believers, we are commanded to live lives pleasing to the Lord individually. The lives we live for Christ will say more to others than any sermons we preach. We need to take advantage of speaking for Jesus when we can. We must ourselves be in the Scriptures and bathe it all in prayer. If our country continues a path self destruction, I would hope you and I would be doing our part in it's “stay” of execution.

Father, help us to be a doer of Your Word and not hearers only. As pleasant as some of our memories may be, there are children growing up now who will never know any innocence in today's culture. Keep us praying..keep us faithful. In Jesus precious name...Amen

TIGHT PLACES

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change.
And though the mountains slip
into the heart of the sea;

Though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains quake at
its swelling pride.
Psalm 47:1-3

Brian and I visited Chattanooga, Tennessee a few weeks ago where fifty years ago, we spent our honeymoon. We went to the places we had visited back then. I must admit that most of it had changed drastically (duh!). A favorite of ours was walking again through Rock City which is still a most fascinating place. Along this walk, one comes to places referred to as “tight squeezes.” It would be very hard for some folks to work their way through those places be it a problem with weight or even in some cases hampered mobility.

In recent days, I have taken a look at Psalm 47, really spending more time on the above verses. The entire Psalm written to be sung is a Psalm of Gods love and the security He provides for those who are His children. Just in those three verses we read of God's strength in our lives, especially in times of trouble. God being our refuge is such a comforting thought. A refuge is a place we can go to for safety, protection and help. In our day we know about shelters of various types...homeless, battered women, rescue missions sponsored by churches and even pregnancy centers. All are the extended arms of God to minister in lives of need whether we recognize that fact or not...remember “Jesus with skin on.”

At the end of verse one is the word “trouble.” The interesting thing about that word according to my reference Bible is that it is translated “tight places.” When I saw that translation, and seeing that during those times, God is a very present help, I thought of tight places through life I have gone through. As I recall, some of them were really tight especially during my single days. There were work and financial stressors where there just wasn't any wiggle room.

We've all known those tight places during family life. Tight places could include job issues, financial woes, challenges in child rearing, and even health problems that in any area could bring troubles (tight places) that seemed impossible to deal with or get out of. It seemed the more we wiggled to solve or get out of such problems, it was to no avail. At times, the more we wiggled to escape, the tighter the place became. In it all, God was a help during those times even if we didn't recognize Him at the time.

The other two verses in this section refers to something we are all experiencing in our country even today. There are times we glide through Scripture as if what we are reading is just historical and not for today. The other two verses refers to weather issues. We see that the earth will change. Yep, God is SO smart. Mountains are spoken of crumbling, tumbling into the sea. Volcanoes tremble and some even spew lave into nearby oceans. When that happens because of the heat, the waters roar and foam because of the hot lava falling into the water.

We hear in our day regarding “climate change.” I'd like to shout from the mountain tops that climate, no matter what it is, belongs to God. He can use it as He sees fit...IT'S HIS. Politicians can come up with all the solutions for climate change they choose, but it will be to no avail. They blame us in some ways for the changes in our air...misuse of fuels, industrial smog and even cattle “passing gas” while roaming their fields. The Psalmist tells us that we are not to fear no matter what happens weather-wise on our earth. He's got it all under His control.

For many people in our day, weather has created some tight places in their lives. We have seen on our TV's horrible fires ravaging through forests and homes. Flooding has destroyed entire cities with their being reports of people who have drowned. It would seem we've had an unusual number of tornadoes and hurricanes. Unusual cold weather has spread across our country with unrelenting snow storms striking in some unusual places. All of these events disable and destroy...tight places.

In it all, whether our tight places are personal or national, we have a Heavenly Father who is totally in charge of everything. I don't expect unsaved people of note to think spiritually about anything when they don't know Jesus. While they are full of panic, we can be full of trust in God, knowing He's in charge. We also know that in it all, God is trying to get our attention.

We have decisions to make...”Therefore we WILL NOT fear...” We can choose to trust during those tight places and not be fearful. God is our “very present help.” May we rest in that fact no matter what comes our way.

Dear Father, thank You for being my refuge in times of trouble and problems...my tight places. I may not understand circumstances that come my way but I know I can trust you in every disturbing event in my life. You are my strength and joy and have been in the tight places of my life. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You in the bad or good weather of my days. In Jesus' precious name...Amen