COVID-19, Pray and ?

Last week I mentioned that, due to my age, I am in one of the categories of high risk for COVID-19.  During the early days of the virus, there were stories that people with asthma might also be at high risk.  As a person with mild asthma, I’ve thus been under the assumption that I am doubly at high risk.  So I’ve been very careful to do all the social distancing things, I’ve rarely ventured out and my wife does the shopping.  

While I have not contracted COVID-19, I must confess that I have been living with the fear of contracting it.  And there have been moments when such fears have almost been overwhelming and debilitating.  Sometimes I find myself reacting to my fears with a desire to just throw caution to the wind and ignore all the recommended precautions.  But is that really how I should respond?

In another way of trying to deal with my fears, sometimes I think that if I’m spiritual enough, shouldn’t I be able to just pray for protection and that would take care of it all?  On the flip side, should I just become ultra cautious when it comes to precautions and never engage in any activities and never interact with any people even at a safe distance?

I wish I had easy answers to those questions, but I don’t!  However, as I read through the book of Nehemiah, I was reminded of a verse that could apply to my situation:  “But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”  (Neh 4:9) 

To give some context, Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and there was some opposition to what he was doing.  In fact, there were some who were threatening to come and tear down the work that had already been done.  From the verse, it appears that Nehemiah felt it was appropriate to pray for God’s protection.  But he didn’t just stop there; he also did all that he could do to thwart the threat by posting a guard.

For me, I was reminded that I do need to pray for God’s protection as the threat of COVID-19 is very real and I am at high risk.  But I also have come to the realization that I really should do all that is wise and appropriate to counteract the threat of contracting the virus.  That does include social distancing, staying at home, limiting my trips and wearing protective masks and gloves when appropriate or required.

Yet even when I apply the principles of that verse from Nehemiah, sometimes my fears still surface.  What do I do then?

It seems to me that there are times when the more complex the issue, the more simple the solution.  David wrote in Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

I’m also wondering if Nehemiah was modeling something simply in the order of things found in the verse.  That is, prayer was first in Nehemiah’s thinking and practice and what followed were the things Nehemiah was responsible to do.

Pray, trust, and do what is my responsibility…simple yet not always so very easy!