Praying the Psalms During COVID-19 (Day 9)

Day 9 of 30

Today’s Readings:

Morning: Psalms 44-46

Evening: Psalms 47-49

(Click here to print the reading plan)

Monday through Friday: Written by Pastor Stern

Saturday and Sunday: Written by Jonathan Hatt

Today’s Devotional Thought:

“Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.” Psalms 47:1-2 ESV

The Psalmist tells us to clap our hands and shout to God with joy. And why? Well, notice that he doesn’t say, “Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For your life is smooth and easy.” “Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For everything in the world is perfect.” “Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For you are healthy, wealthy, and wise.” No! We shout to God with loud songs of joy because God is to be feared as our holy and righteous King. Therefore, true joy isn’t rooted in the flimsy “ups and downs” of this world; rather, it’s rooted in a God who is “Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 4).

But I fear that many Christians (including me) are forgetting this joy during COVID-19. We are afraid; we are tired; we are restless; we are cynical. And perhaps we are forgetting our joy because we fear coronavirus more than we fear God. But, while this virus can only kill the body or destroy the economy, Jesus says, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

So if you’re interested in increasing your joy during this national crisis, I would encourage you to do something counterintuitive in the modern world. Spend more time reflecting on the fear of God in the Bible. What is it? Do you personally fear God? Are there different kinds of fear? How can you fear God more? And as you reflect on questions like these, I would recommend two resources. First, click here to explore other Bible passages about the fear of God. Second, read a little book called the Fear of God by John Bunyan.

Ways to Pray:

  1. Forgive me, Lord, for fearing COVID-19 more than I fear you as my loving King!

  2. Forgive me for losing my joy during this national crisis. Restore to me the joy of my salvation.

  3. Help me understand what it means to fear you as my King.

  4. Thank you for the joy I know through faith in Christ. Give me an opportunity to share this joy with someone else today.