A few weeks ago, as I was reading Our Daily Bread, I was inspired by a story about the Great Depression during the 1930’s. It was a time of great despair, poverty and suffering. Unemployment caused food lines, and men on street corners sold apples for a nickel as factories were shut down. The devotional drew attention to a photograph taken by Dorothea Lange of a mother in despair, Florence Owens Thompson, who had seven children. The picture is called “Migrant Mother”. It became famous because the lines of her face and her worried expression pictured the emotions of the time. She was from Oklahoma, where drought had struck the plains with windstorms destroying crops and becoming known as the Dust Bowl. She migrated, as did many others, to California to work in the fields. Her car had broken down near pea fields, where the crops had been ruined by frost and the 3000 workers had nothing to do and no food.
“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” Psalm 107:6
Today we are experiencing joblessness, long lines at food banks, stock market in crisis, empty supermarket shelves, and masked and gloved restaurant workers handing bags to waiting motorists. This paints a picture of an economy in deep distress. Although the causes are quite different, ours to protect public health rather than economic factors, we can relate to her plight. From today’s vantage point, returning to normal may only be weeks or a few months away, yet we feel worried, isolated, or perhaps desperate when bills are due and illness from the virus may be just around the corner. What does the Bible say we should do when we experience hard times? Cry out to God! Pray and call out to Him. He hears us and promises to protect and comfort us.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
He may not take us out of our present circumstances, but He promises to be with us always. What can we do? Pray, because God is waiting to hear from you, read uplifting scripture, praise God for who He is, keep a daily journal of your thoughts, keep in touch with family and friend, listen to virtual church services, go for a walk , reach out to a neighbor or a friend, and TRUST. Trust the Lord as each new day dawns.
“Trust in the Lord your God; trust Him with all your heart. Lean not on your own strength, but on God from the start.” Acknowledge Him; submit to God in all your ways. He will direct your paths; guide you through all your days. Poem from Proverbs 3:5-6