Quarantine Quiet Time
I know it’s been many days since you have heard from me. To
be honest, I have been struggling with fear, depression, and uncertainty. As a result,
I have attempted to lose myself in my work.
Then a couple of days ago, I came across the concept of renting the Word
of God – His precepts and promises. (Sister Chicks in Wooden Shoes by
Robin Jones Gunn). In my opinion, renting the promises of God means that although,
I am seeking to memorize many verses of Scripture and reading faithfully, unless
I lay hold of them for me and allow my focus to be on the Word of God, I am
experiencing content without reality. It
was then I realized where I had allowed my mind and heart to dwell and repented.
I have decided to start anew reading the Psalms of
Ascent. Those are the Psalms that we
believe the Jewish people sang as they made their way to Jerusalem on the major
Feast Days that they commemorated each year. These Psalms begin with Psalm 120
and go through Psalm 134.
Here are my thoughts from Psalm 120. The Psalmist begins with the words, “In my distress,
I cried to the LORD…” These days of quarantine
bring unwelcome thoughts to one who struggles with mild depression.” For the
child of God, the best thing to do is to cry out to the Lord. He will answer … not
by removing the quarantine, but most likely through His Word and the the Body of Christ. These ways include but are not limited to the following: an
encouraging email, a text from a friend, an encouraging Facebook post, and
above all a promise from His Word, that we begin to own and not just rent.
The second thing the Psalmist notes is that the LORD rescues
us from lying lips. This includes statements from the media, who knows what to
believe? I must take multiple conspiracy
theories; again, who knows what is true –
what is actually a conspiracy theory? I have made the conscious choice to
distance myself from social media. If I want to check it, I sent a timer and
when it sounds, I am usually done. It is taking discipline, but oh how it is
worth it.
The third thing the Psalmist bears out is that I must choose
peace. I know I have peace with God because I trust in the finished work of
Christ alone for my salvation. Now, I must seek and choose the peace of God and
allow Him to drive fear from my heart. It’s a constant struggle, but one I am
slowly learning in these days.
Will you allow Him to drive fear from your heart and replace it with His peace?
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