Faith in Times of Crisis

 Psalm 118 - selected verses- New International Version (NIV)

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

5 In my anguish, I cried to the Lord;
    and he answered me by setting me free.
6 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my defence
    he has become my salvation.

21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
    you have become my salvation.

27 The Lord is God,
    and he has made his light shine on us.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Meditation by Dr J P Hunter 

During the solemn season of Lent we travel on a spiritual journey of forty days, symbolising Jesus’ time of fasting in the desert at the beginning of his public ministry, towards Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday and his rising from the dead, on Easter Sunday.

When there are days, during this period of Lent in lockdown, when we do not feel like rejoicing, when our mood is down, our situation isolated, and our sorrow overwhelming, there is one thought which lifts you and me out of gloom. That is the thought and realisation that through all the suffering our world and our country is currently going through, there is hope and light. 

Hope in the faith and knowledge you and I have of a Heavenly Father God who out of love, sent his Son to our world to die for us on Good Friday and to be raised to new life on Easter Sunday.  Light, that if we believe in Him, placing our trust and confidence in Him, we will have new life too, never ending, in His Presence. Then I can repeat and mean the above encouraging words of this Psalm too: 

The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us, 118:27

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever, 118:1, 29

You are my God, and I will praise you, 118:28a

Prayer

Heavenly Father God, on this day of Lent in lockdown, I come to seek your presence with a burdened heart. First, to thank you that even in days of difficulty, you are always there and that you hear my prayer.

When I cannot see too far ahead, I praise you for your promise.

When my feet are weak, I praise you for your steadfastness.

When my heart is hardly warm, I praise you for your love. 

Then to ask if you will journey with me, this day and all days, till in Heaven I take my place, lost in wonder, love and praise. 

Amen

Hymn – Singing the Faith 503 – Love divine, all loves excelling, verse 3

3.Finish then thy new creation,

   pure and spotless let us be;

   let us see thy great salvation,

   perfectly restored in thee;

   changed from glory into glory,

   till in Heaven we take our place

   till we cast our crowns before thee,

   lost in wonder, love and praise!                                                                    

Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788)