What Have You Heard?

www.bible.com/1713/2sa.7.22.csb

What have you heard about the God we serve? This text comes from David’s prayer in 2 Samuel 7, a prayer that sounds apologetic in a way. David, as a King of Israel, knows his place in the grand scheme of things. He knows that God sits over Him in authority, and David, for all his faults, certainly rules Israel with this knowledge. It is something that I wish our current rulers had a notion of.

I think we have seen more self-awareness out of this president than we have had for some time. Whether it is piety or holiness is still subject to judgment. He certainly acts like someone who is seeking counsel from the Lord, as he is consulting men and women of faith. He invoked the name of God that to my ears doesn’t sound like pandering. But I also hear in his voice the someone who is still struggling with faith, but that’s just me.

No the rulers I am talking about reside in Congress. And while they are not rulers per se, they certainly believe they hold sway over the republic and live like kings. I would pray for some humility on the part of our representatives and senators. I would pray that the fear of God fall upon them as they construct their legislation and give place to God in their meetings. I know some do, for its impossible to make general statements like this without exceptions. But as I watch some legislators, it feels to me that God is only superficial, and only cited to pander to those who don’t pay attention.

Our Republic stands or falls on our faithfulness to God. This current epidemic is a reminder of this statement. And for many, their first reaction is to turn to science and medicine. If science is our religion of choice for our origin stories, it is only fitting. But science is not meeting this thing head-on. Science is making a poor match, as it has yet to discover the miracle cure people are seeking. It will take time, they say. Listen, science, properly so-called, is a human process. We cannot put our faith in science because it is merely a servant of man, not its master. When it didn’t matter, it was easy to ask science for the reason why we are here, and we got a story about evolution. But now when we turn to science to save our collective lives, science moves slowly. It may eventually get there, but it is also just as likely that the crisis will pass by then. I work in healthcare. I value science and medicine and its helpful work in healing. but I also know we didn’t come from science. We have a Maker and a Creator who knows our every cellular cluster, our every neuron, as well as every neutron star. If we are to receive healing, we must first stop at the door of the Creator. If the cure is to come from science, know first that it came from God. For every good and perfect gift is from above. Every medicine we possess came about through accident and experiment. Penicillin, the first antibiotic, came about because someone saw that bacteria didn’t grow near to mold. Was that an accidental discovery? Yes, but one that has saved countless lives. Was that God’s work? I believe so. I have no doubt many had seen the very thing, but it took the right mind in the right frame of mind to know what he was seeing at that moment to pursue it as the first antibiotic.

We must be in the right frame of mind to see what’s going on around us. That frame of mind begins with putting our mind in the service of the Master. Just as David did all those years ago as a King, so we need to do in our everyday lives.

Lord, guide me today in my walk. Guide me in humility to see the things I need to see, to be able to know the things I need to know that I may help others. Thank You Lord for being the King of renown, the One others have heard of, and who Name goes out into all the world. Lord grant me insight so that if I may be of value in this crisis, I may be prepared for my help when needed. Thank You, Lord, for You rule above all. In Your Name, we pray, Amen.