Tuesday 31st March | Mim Johnson
Readings
Reflection
In these Bible passages we see responses to great suffering. The Egyptian Pharaoh sees the suffering of his people and, despite also seeing God’s power, miracles and faithfulness to the Israelites, he “hardened his heart” against the Lord. But the writer of Hebrews calls us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus” in the midst of suffering. These words inspire and encourage us but in this battle against an invisible virus, we realise how hard it is to live them out faithfully!
In Psalm 35, David does run the race with perseverance, but it doesn’t look glamorous. He struggles, laments, complains and desperately pleads with God to ease his torment. What struck me was when David asks the Lord to “say to [his] soul, ‘I am your salvation.’” It reminds me of my favourite hymn ‘Crown Him With Many Crowns’: “Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee and hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity!” David already knows that God is his salvation and he already knows that God is faithful and good; he has seen God’s faithfulness to him countless times before. But when he’s suffering, he needs this knowledge to move from his head to his soul. He needs to live from this truth. It’s through praying to God to minister to him that this happens. And, from dwelling in the truth that God is his saviour who “delights in his wellbeing”, he is able to “give thanks” and “praise all the day long”.
We do not want to respond to suffering like the Pharaoh does. We need to respond as David does, with hearts that are open despite not knowing why things are happening and with prayers to God to minister to us. To help remind my soul that God is my salvation each day, I’m going to be keeping a journal throughout these weeks to pray to God, give him thanks and keep a record of his faithfulness to me and I would encourage you to do the same.
Prayers
As you pray the prayer below (and perhaps during your prayer/journaling time this week), I’ve put together a playlist of worship songs which call our souls to wake up to the faithfulness and goodness of God.
Father God, in this fight against Coronavirus, say to my soul ‘I am your salvation.’ Thank you for your faithfulness to me, thank you that you delight in my wellbeing and thank you that you are walking with me in this time. I praise you Jesus that you are relentlessly good, I praise you for your perfect love that casts out fear, and I praise you for the sacrifice that you made for me on the cross. Holy Spirit, help me to open up my heart to you, to hide nothing from you and would you give me ears to hear what you are saying to me this week. I love you, Lord God. Amen.
Collect
Most merciful God,
Who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
Delivered and saved the world:
Grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
We may triumph in the power of his victory;
Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
Who is alive and reigns with you,
In the unity of the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and for ever.
Amen.
