Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My stronghold and my deliverer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.
O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You think of him? Psalm 144:1-3
As I drove to work today, the first thing I heard on 93.3 radio was, “Be on the lookout; three monkeys are missing from a lab after breaking out and stealing COVID-19 lab tests.” All I could think was, this must be a dream. How could it not be?! Honestly, when I heard this, I prayed to God saying, “God, I’m done, no more, I cannot do this.” But, no matter how done I was, I had to keep marching forward, I had to let my strength come from the Lord.
When I arrived at work, still in disbelief, I did a quick Google search, and sure enough, in a lab study in India, monkeys broke loose and took with them coronavirus test samples. One monkey was even found later chewing on one of the samples! While this is a rather humorous example, this world does feel like a war zone, with each day bringing a whole new battle.
Now, as in the times of David, we know God is our rock, one to build our hope and faith in. He is our source of strength, love, and kindness. He is our defender. He sees us and deems us worthy of His love, even when we stumble or mess up. And He has given us the tools to face this battle. Whether they are tools of knowledge, education, love…you name it. Through Him, we each have the ability to get through this.
I do not know the battles that lie ahead, but I do know this. God is with us, and He is for us. He is our hope and our salvation.
Bailey Robinson