When I was young, my brother, sister and I would spend three weeks each summer with our father. Much of that time was spent on a schooner that lacked sails. One day, I was leaning against the mast when there was the crack of gunfire and a loud ping near my head. Dad quickly ordered us down below. He loaded his gun and waded through the shallow water towards the point where the shots had been fired.
The shots finally stopped for a while, then started up again. The three of us, sheltering in place, felt forlorn and terrified. Quite some time later Dad returned and assured us it was safe to come out.
Once back with us, Dad explained that a couple of guys with no safety training were trying out guns they had purchased. Dad felt it was more important to take the time to train them than rushing back to the boat so we wouldn’t worry. I felt angry at Dad because I was frightened when he delayed, but he did do what was right. He may have saved lives by teaching them gun safety rather than just telling them not to shoot in our direction.
It’s hard to perceive what God is doing as we shelter in place or are on the front lines dealing with the threat. We may not recognize what steps are necessary to bring correction to an aimless world. Perhaps we do not comprehend His actions enough to make sense out of what He is allowing to happen. However, God does know; and we can know this:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble”
(Ps 46:1-2)
Remember, we are not facing this alone…nor are we facing it without good reason.
God is “ever-present”