Houston, we have a Problem
Remember Tom Hank’s famous phrase in Apollo 13 (one of my favorite movies BTW)? Tom and his fellow astronauts had lost control of their spaceship. They tried multiple fixes but eventually had to surrender to mission control.
Well, my friends, we have a problem. Government leaders have tried to control the spread of this deadly virus. Medical experts have tried to treat this deadly virus. Wall Street has tried to command the economic impact of this deadly virus. The news media has tried to sway the narrative of this pandemic. If we have learned nothing else in the past few weeks, we must know; WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL. We have used the phrase, “out of control” too lightly because right now the world is out of control! The inconsistencies of what we hear daily about this deadly virus is mind boggling.
Today’s scripture is a reminder, it’s familiar, but we need to look at it again.
Psalm 46:1-2 NLT “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So, we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.” Refuge can be translated “protection.” “Always ready to help” doesn’t get much plainer. I love the synonyms for ‘so’ : Consequently, thus, therefore, hence, accordingly.
The Message translation puts words so plainly. “God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need Him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us. God of Angel-Armies protects us.”
It may seem we are at the ‘cliff-edge of doom” with today’s problems. Standing fearless is out of the question in our own power. Like the astronauts of Apollo 13, it’s time we surrender control of this pandemic to Mission Control. The One who is steadfast, immovable and strong; the One who is and was in Control from the beginning.
Friends, we have a problem, let’s give it to the Omnipotent Problem-Solver.
