May Vision Column

From the Pastor’s Desk

“So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; and seventy thousand persons fell in Israel. And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but when he was about to destroy it, the LORD took note and relented concerning the calamity; he said to the destroying angel, "Enough! Stay your hand." The angel of the LORD was then standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. And David said to God, "Was it not I who gave the command to count the people? It is I who have sinned and done very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and against my father's house; but do not let your people be plagued!" (1 Chronicles 21:14-17)

Like the people of Israel three thousand years ago we may be facing a plague. As I write this the Swine Flu is spreading all over the world. Many have died in Mexico and there is evidence that the flu is spreading to other countries including the United States. Health authorities are concerned that we may we experiencing a pandemic. A pandemic occurs when a new flu virus begins infecting a population with little or no immunity. The health impact on the population may be substantial.

There are a number of practical things you can do to prepare yourself and your family for a pandemic: Store a two week supply of food and water in your home because you may not be able to get to the store. Check your prescription drugs to make sure that you have enough. Have non prescription drugs, cold medicines, pain relievers, remedies for stomach, cough and colds, and vitamins on hand. Talk with your family members about what would happen if you were to get sick. Get involved with the community and the church to prepare for an emergency response. And children need to be taught to wash their hands frequently with soap and water, cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, and stay away from people who are sick.

A vaccine to protect us from the flu may be months away. So until it arrives we have to rely on common sense ways to avoid the bug and prayer. King David used prayer to protect his people from a pandemic. God, who loves us and cares for us, had already decided to spare his people from the disease. But this didn’t stop David from praying. He and the elders prayed by confessing his own sins and asking that God punish them rather than the people. Jesus made the same request and was punished for our sins on the cross. Therefore we can be assured that God loves us, forgives us, and wants the best for us. We may still get sick with the flu, but even when we are coughing and sneezing, God will be with us and hear our prayers.

Blessings,

Pastor Jeff