We have come through over a year and a half of dealing with Covid-19. In the early summer, we thought that we were on the other side, the case numbers were in the decline, most likely from the benefits of the vaccine and other mitigating tools we were using. Businesses began to open, and recently kids began to return to school, to in-person learning.

At the same time, while it seemed that we had the upper hand on Covid-19, the Delta variant was making its way into our many communities causing our numbers to slowly tick back up.

Last week in my Bible reading, I read a portion of Daniel’s prayer which expressly reminded me of where we are today. In fact, I had previously wrote about what I felt was missing in Where Is The Cry? In my reading, Daniel had been shown visions of what is to come, and was perplexed. His response was to turn to God in prayer for his people. Here is a portion of what Daniel prayed:

As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us, yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore, the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

Daniel 9:13-14 ESV

The key word, YET. After everything that has happened, Daniel said that they had yet to cry out to God and abandon their sinful ways. Reading through the Old Testament, you’ll find that many judgments of calamity came upon the children of Israel, God’s chosen people, because of their disobedience, and their failure to cling to God and his way. But the judgments could also be seen as a grace or a gift. A grace? How can a tragedy be a gift? Because as we read over and over in the Old Testament, it would not be until the calamity that they would call out to God for help. So yes, trials and calamities should make us look to God, who we know is sovereignly ruling over all things, and that he has allowed them to take place in our lives.

The psalmist says:

…the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

Psalm 19:9b KJV

This may be a hard saying for some, when we consider all the tragedies and trials we experience. However, we must remember that this is God’s world, and he works all things according to the counsel of his purpose and his will. It may not be ours to understand.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV

In the immediate preceding verses, the prophet Isaiah says that we should seek the Lord. He says that if we call out to him, he will forgive us when we repent and forsake our wayward paths.

I believe that all of the crises we are currently experiencing, Covid-19, Afghanistan removal, fires in the west, Hurricane Ida hitting the gulf coast, and personal tragedies resulting from these crises should signal to us that it is indeed time to call upon the Lord and forsake our wayward paths.

Are we ready to Yet?