As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 42:1-2

I have a friend who always struggled motivating herself to spend time with God. She had a desire to get closer to God, but could not extract herself from the world long enough to focus on him. When I last talked to her, she was spending two hours at a time with her Bible and journal.

This, I believe, was the direct result of living in the simpler world we experience today. A world without restaurants, without Starbucks, without shopping, haircuts, dentists, classes, and meetings. This is also a world without opportunities to meet with friends. Not a good thing in itself, but it does mean greater opportunities and time to meet with God.

We’re all part of this strange new world. This world that watches the news endlessly. We worry, overwhelmed by the pandemic. Horrified with the many cases of COVID 19 we hear about. Shocked by the number of deaths. Bewildered by the apparent meaninglessness of it all.

Those who believe in God ask: “What’s he doing?” They want to understand God’s plan. Is there a plan?

Others, who have never known him ask: “Who is this God I’ve heard about? Is he real?” Their interest in the spiritual might have been awoken for the first time. They’re drawn to questioning this other part of themselves, this part they had never fully explored before.

They search. With the help of those who have a faith, they learn to know what it means to believe. They find comfort in knowing there is Someone they can trust—Someone they can rely on.

And God? What does he say to us as he invites us, arms outstretched?

“Come to me. I am your heavenly Father, he who created you, the One who loves you in a way no one else can. Join with me as I make this world a better place. Join with me to bring healing to this broken world.”

“I will give you strength. I will give you courage.”

marja