God With Us

As I reflect on how the world has changed even in the last 24 hours, I am starting to accept what is going on around me as my new reality, the world’s new reality. It may be a while before I come to terms with it all yet, but I have started to accept the reality of the situation. As I’ve sat with my sadness and acceptance today, I am reminded of the words of Deut 31:6, 8 and Joshua 1:5 where it says that the Lord will be with us, He will never leave us nor forsake us, so we are not to be afraid or discouraged. It almost seems like a hard concept to grasp right now…that God is with us, that we are not to fear or become discouraged. How? And in the words of Psalm 6:3 “My soul is in deep anguish, how long Lord, how long?” This was the Psalm that our church was focusing on Sunday morning, the weekend before the world as we know it here in Ontario and in Canada changed, seemingly overnight. That verse has come to take on a totally different meaning since then. But then, many things in life have. I found out tonight that the province of Quebec where my brother lives is now in lock down. The liberties of life like going for a bike ride or walking along a trail by the creek, like my family did this afternoon, gone. Just like that. Not knowing when those liberties will return. It’s the not knowing that is the hardest to come to terms with. Today, that is what I have been grappling with. The unknown. And to the unknown I say again: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deut 31:8