To all the saints in Christ Jesus,

As I ponder on what the future may hold for us, particularly what we might come to expect regarding the church and its place and function after experiencing the changes brought about by the COVID-19 viral pandemic, I find myself, at times, restless and impatient. And so I turn again and again to Psalm 40, where I am able to recenter my focus on God and the sure and steadfast hope and trust we are to have upon God's ability to guide and direct us in all life's situations. In 40:1 we affirm that God comes near to us and hears our cries, and is able to set our feet upon sure footing.

The Psalm directs us to trust God and not that which would lead to a following of false and pretend gods: "Happy are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods" (40:4). God's love and faithfulness is steadfast; therefore we can appeal to God for mercy and deliverance from all iniquity and evil (40:11-12). God is our help and our deliverer (40:17).

When we feel weakened and fearful in the face of uncertainty and disturbance, the Psalmist reminds us of God's countless wondrous works and God's merciful concerns for our well-being (4:5). As the church, we are also called together to proclaim continuously God's mighty deeds and God's saving help for us in time of need (40:10). God will not forsake us.

It all comes down to a matter of perspective. Are we able to see and experience the saving help of God's presence in our lives, or are we feeling overtaken and ambushed by a brokenness in our world that gives challenge to safety and security, and from those who would sow confusion and discord in such times? (40:12, 14). Hopefully, through trust and reverence (40:3), we may continuously seek God's guidance and deliverance, that we may find the way to rejoice and be glad in God's presence and concern for us in time of need, to know that "the LORD takes thought for me" (40:17).

We may also take solace in the Apostle Paul's counsel in Romans 8: "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?"

Blessings and peace!   Pastor John