Praying For Peace During "Circuit Breaker" Lockdowns That Seem To Go On Forever

 Here we are with many places here in Canada back in “circuit breaker” periods of lockdown as cases coming from these more infections variant strains of Covid-19 get ahead of the pace of vaccinations.  Countries like Italy, France, Poland, and Germany all have pretty strong lockdown measures in place.  Here in British Columbia we are in another minimum 3-week closure as we hit record number of cases and hospitalizations.

What a roller coaster these weeks and months have been.  Everything was bleak for so long and then we had the hope of vaccines being approved – and they were.  Then news of one and then another and then another variant came out and for quite some time now we’ve heard health officials warn us that the third wave could easily be worse than anything we’ve seen thus far.  Numbers locally would certainly say that. This time it’s also the 20-39 age bracket that has the most cases and apparently they are getting sicker and staying in hospital – including ICU longer.  Restaurants and services like catering feel like supports have been kicked out from under them as in-house dining has been stopped again.  That story is repeated in many industries.  Retail sales in every sector are down except for online purchases.

Into this unpredictable and unsteady we have the comfort of God’s faithful loving presence with us to support us and take us through turbulent times.  We return to this theme often but I think we need to keep these truths front and center no matter how much our circumstances shake around us.

(don’t read)  But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.  Psalm 86:15

Loving God, with the writer of the Psalm was affirm:  that You are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.  We need that so compassion and strong love so much with so many challenges to face every day as things seem to get so much worse with cases going up from these virus variants and governments having to take strong action. 

We are reminded in Your word:

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.  1 Peter 4:19

Help us to go through these difficult times in a manner that pleases You.  Give us courage and strength to keep on doing what is right and simply trusting Your help and the fact that You will not fail us.  For those of us who have lost so much financially or lost a loved one to the virus, or are struggling with health issues as a result of the virus, it seems hard to hang on. 

But today we want to lean hard on Your promise that: 

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.  1 Corinthians 10:13

Sometimes we wonder about that but we will trust today that You know more than we do and that You will see us through, show us how to go forward one day at a time until the season of difficulty is lessened and even taken away.

And so today we will simply speak Your promises back to You God and trust You to work them out in our circumstances.

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.  Psalm 9:9-10

Those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.  Psalm 34:10b

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!  Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4

Help us Lord, particularly when we are weary and struggle to keep going.  Be our rock of refuge today in these times of trouble.  Give us Your peace and every good thing we need in this day.  Amen