MARCH 21 2020

Good Morning,
I wanted to share three stanzas from a Puritan prayer titled "The Servant in Battle".
Heal me of any wounds received in the great conflict;
                if I have gathered defilement,
                if my faith has suffered damage,
                if my hope is less than bright,
                if my love is not fervent,
                if some creature-comfort occupies my heart,
                if my soul sinks under the pressure of the fight.
O thou whole every promise is balm,
                                every touch life,
                 draw near to thy weary warrior,
                refresh me, that I may rise again to wage the strife,
                and never tire until my enemy is trodden down.
The final stanza of the prayer states:
Then shall my hand never weaken, my feet never stumble,
                my sword never rest, my shield never rust,
                my helmet never shatter, my breastplate never fall,
                as my strength rests in the power of thy might.
There has been a lot of reference to our current situation as akin to a country at war. The special challenge is that we are fighting an unseen enemy.  In such a time, our prayers are a warrior's prayer. A warrior who knows God freely acknowledges the fears, the emotional toil, and the things that may distract from the priorities at hand.  In those times, like the warrior in Puritan prayer, we remember that God's promises are a balm on our wounds and that our strength to power on happens because it is on the foundations of His love that we stand.  Only then, will our armor hold and our strength endure.
As we pray that God gift our leaders with wisdom and discernment for sound decisions; as we shout acclamations of gratitude for health care workers in the trenches; and as we recognize the selfless dedication of daycare workers that care for the children of others at the risk of exposure; let us never lost sight of Christ who walks with us through this time.  Let the words of our lips and the cry of our heart echo the words of Psalm 121:1-4 [I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber or sleep.]
Have a blessed day, Vic