Psalms 34:4

I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

One can only take so much of the never ending Covid-19 news cycle. Yes, we should be informed and protect ourselves from unnecessary exposure. However, the dwelling on Fox News and CNN reports combined with Facebook posts from backseat immunology experts can wear on both the mind and spirit.

I had to get out of the office Friday afternoon and find a golf course. Thankfully, the weather was perfect and a couple of friends sought the same solace. The quality of golf did not compare to the blessing of being able to enjoy the goodness of God’s creation. During the course of 18 holes, the virus was barely mentioned. We talked about our churches, our wives, the 90’s, and what we still have despite all of the negative outside the white stakes surrounding the golf course.

Our life is full of ebbs and flows both physically and spiritually. God is surely worthy of our praise no matter our current position or worry. In Psalms 34, David gave us the key to having the right frame of mind in spite of it all. In verse 1, he wrote that, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The world will attempt and is often successful in dampening our spirit of praise. However, we serve a faithful and dependable God.

Our promise is not for wealth and ease of life. We have the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. His presence produces a spirit of joy which is more than sufficient in times of quarantine. Unlike the current circumstances fearing viral exposure, we are quarantined by our sin and strife by our making. We isolate ourselves from the spirit of praise because of our supposed position and surroundings.

Worry and fear are both natural responses to our realization that a certain circumstance may have a negative impact upon our life. We lose our job, then fear for the loss of our possessions. A loved one gets a bad medical report and the worry forces us to think the worst. Worry and fear are both reflections of effective atheism. When we allow worry and fear to dictate our spirit, we are denying the power and presence of our Almighty God.

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to always be in a spirit of praise. This worship and praise gets the attention of our Lord. It is He who listens to our petitions, concerns, fears and worries. It is then we are delivered from “all of our fears.” When we praise and bless the Lord, we acknowledge His power and presence. As is proclaimed in the Casting Crowns song, “I will praise you in this storm!” This song is our witness to the world around us.