We had been protected for 18 months. Our little rural town had not had a single case of Covid during the whole pandemic.
Until it did.

When we were notified a positive case was at the primary school where my youngest daughter attends, I was in shock. It was a surreal moment as we both went into town to be tested.
We sat in the car to pass the time, playing I-spy and a hand-clapping game, laughing because she was so much better than me! Silently I prayed, “Lord let this virus not come upon us, protect us Father, protect my whole family Lord.”
Then the waiting game began.

Waiting for results, but also because of state health orders, through two weeks of isolation. Let me tell you, I am not good at waiting. Yet, I had determined that this period of waiting would not be marked by stress, worry, or negativity. I wanted my family to remember this time as restful and peaceful and a unique adventure, to say the least.

I remembered a preacher praying Psalm 91 at the beginning of the pandemic and I thought, YES, I am going to claim that promise too, that no plague, aka the Covid virus, would come against us…
So, I began reading from verse 1.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God in Him I will trust.’ Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence…You shall not be afraid of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday…It shall not come near you…Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.”

Four days into our isolation we received the results that five out of the six of us tested negative for the virus. I was naturally thinking my daughter would be negative, too. Then we got a call from the health department with a positive result for my daughter.

What happened to Psalm 91?? What happened to my prayers that no plague shall come near my dwelling??

Have you been in a similar situation? Where maybe you didn’t get what you prayed for?

At first, I was so sad for her and a little shocked, though I knew that this was not a shock to my heavenly Father. He is always good and always loves, so I sought to reconcile the truth of Psalm 91 in light of our situation.

The revelation came when I read verses 1 and 2 together with verses 9 and 10…not just verse 10 on its own. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God in Him I will trust.’ …Because you have made the Lord who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.

Can you see it? Verse 10 does not say no plague shall come against your family or the house where you live, it says “your dwelling.” Well, where was my dwelling?
I have made my dwelling in the secret place, the presence of the Lord is my dwelling – AND NO PLAGUE SHALL COME AGAINST THAT!!!

What a powerful promise we can all hold onto!! No plague, no evil, no pestilence can come against my dwelling in the Lord. Yes, it came against my family, but it did not take me out of the Lord’s presence!!

I had prayed and asked God that the virus would not come upon us. I didn’t get the answer I asked for, but I got so much more.

I felt the goodness of His presence the entire two weeks. I received a greater understanding of His Word. My faith was increased as I witnessed firsthand His miraculous protection over the rest of my family and His healing power over my sweet little girl.

It is such a comfort to know that God knows exactly what we need, despite what we pray for. He will always fulfill His promises and even when our circumstances might not be good, God still is.

This article first appeared in Kingdom Edge Magazine, click here to find more encouraging and faith filled resources. https://www.facebook.com/kingdomedgemag

Blessings,

Laura Jane Anslow