"…every one of them…"

I was on a conference call today with people in Sioux Falls, SD; Athabasca, Alberta; Sioux City, IA; Kansas City, MO; and somewhere in south Florida. Add the two of us on the call from Dulce, NM and there was quite a spread, geographically. 

The first thing the meeting organizer wanted us to share with each other was what the situation was re: the COVID-19 pandemic and how our various churches were responding. There was also quite a spread as far as that news went, from communities where there are actual cases of the disease and where worship last Sunday was an online experience, to our community/congregation, where there are no known cases and worship went on as usual last Sunday, albeit with smaller numbers. Part of that decrease happened as people and families practice social distancing and part of it was due to the rhythm of the calendar for tribal members and employees.

The scripture that was going through my head during this part of the conversation was Psalm 139:16,

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them."

That verse reminded me that our days, every one of them, are known to God, long in advance of any one of them coming to pass. Not just the days of my life, or yours, but also of Robin as she gets in a few quiet moments on the couch, our boys as they watch TV, all of the people on our conference call, all of the people in our various congregations and communities, and all of the people in the world.

COVID-19 may be dominating the news right now, and rightly so, but the Lord sits on his throne, fully aware of all the moments of all the days of all the people, ever. No one can predict how long this crisis will continue. No one can estimate when, or if, there will be an easy cure or a preventative vaccine. No one can guess at how many people will become ill, and even die, as a result of COVID-19. But Christians can know certain hope in this: all of our days, every one of them, are always known, to the Lord. Always.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.