The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:1-2)
Lord,
You are the eternal God. You were there before world began. You were there before sin came into the world and caused countless repercussions, like atrocities and adversaries and viruses like COVID-19. You were there to watch the fateful bite of that fruit, but You are still there, faithful to the end, never changing, never failing, always the same, everlasting. Though our circumstances have changed, You never do.
Your everlasting arms are mighty and strong. They do not weaken with sustained pressure or work. They do not need to let up or let go or let through over time or with enough weight. You are infinitely powerful. You are the perfect safe place to take refuge in.
You are our home.
And even as we must “Shelter in place” or “Socially distance” or “Self isolate,” we know that there is no better place to do so than in your everlasting arms, in the comfort of your embrace. Six feet from others, but you are closer than them all. You will hold us fast, for You love us so. Where else can we go? You have been the only real safe place for us to live in all through our lives, and You will continue to be in these uncertain days. COVID-19 has only affected us for days, maybe weeks, and we don’t know how long we’ll have to live like this, but You - far greater than a microbial virus - are eternal, and as we pass from one phase of life to another, one way of life to another, however difficult or threatening they may be, You, our good, gentle, gracious God, You are still faithful, still our constant, still our safe place, our refuge.
We run to You, our strength.
We rest because we belong to You.
We rejoice because You are still God over all.
Help us to trust in You.
Hold us tight.
Thank you, in Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen