My dear friend,
I am so glad you told me about this, and I am gladder still that you had a good sleep and that your heart is set on rising early to go to the house of the Lord. That is a right and a blessed thing. You long to sit in that quiet place, to pray to God, and to be free from this troubling thought of the virus man. I want to speak a word of comfort to you now, not as one who stands far off, but as a brother sitting beside you in the dusk, both of us looking to the same dear Saviour.
You fear an evil thing creeping into the place of worship, settling on the chairs, filling the air. I understand that fear; it is a shadow that falls across the soul. But listen to me. The air in the house of God is never empty, and it is never given over to evil. It is filled with the presence of the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. And this God, your God, has given His people a promise, a promise so homely and warm that I want you to wrap it around yourself like a cloak against the cold. He says, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust.” Picture a hen gathering her chicks when a hawk prowls overhead. She spreads her wings, and the little ones come running to cower down in that soft, warm shadow. The hawk may screech, but it cannot get at them, because the mother’s own body is their shield. So it is with you and your Lord. When you step into that church, you are stepping under His wing. The virus man, whatever dark shape he takes in your thoughts, cannot come between you and the heart of God. The real thing that fills that room is not a breath of sickness but the warm, living presence of your Redeemer.
You said you can pray to God well, and that is a wonderful mercy. Do you know what pleases Him most? It is not fine words; it is the simple cry of a heart that turns to Him. The very weakness you feel, the flutter and the fear, is the best preparation for truly leaning on Him. He says to those who feel like a worm, small and helpless, “Fear not, I will help you.” Not “I might,” not “I will if you are strong,” but “I will.” This is His own Word, and He cannot lie. When you sit in that chair tomorrow, you will not be alone. The Lord Jesus Himself is there. In the heavenly worship, John looked and saw not a throne of judgment first, but a Lamb, the Lamb who takes away sin. That same Lamb is present where two or three gather in His name. He doesn’t sit far off, waiting to see if you measure up. He is near, so near that every sigh is heard, every whispered prayer is received like a love-letter in a black-edged envelope, precious because it came from your hand in trouble.
Now, about this fear itself. It may try to return; such feelings are like a fog that rolls in without asking permission. But I want you to remember that fear is never a sign that God has left you. The Lord does not wish His children to be afraid of anything, not of man, not of sickness, not of dark imaginings. That is why His Word is so full of “Fear nots,” like the daisies and kingcups a child gathers in a spring meadow. He says, “Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” The darkness may seem thick, but the hand that holds you in the dark is your Father’s hand. The virus man is not greater than the nail-scarred hand that holds the world. Tomorrow, when you wake early and walk to church, you go as God’s own servant, someone He has called and chosen and will never cast away. The floor you step on, the chair you sit in, the very air you breathe, all are under His charge. And you will not find an enemy there; you will find a Friend.
Let us pray now, you and I, and then you may rest in peace.
Lord Jesus, our great Shield and Shelter, look upon Your dear child who trusts in You. Let no evil draw near, no shadow of plague enter the place where Your name is lifted high. Fill that little church with such a sense of Your nearness that fear melts away like mist before the morning sun. Grant peaceful sleep tonight, a glad rising tomorrow, and a true meeting with You in the place of prayer. Cover this precious soul with Your feathers, and let him find that under Your wings he has no cause to tremble. You are the Lamb in the midst of the throne, and You are in the midst of Your people. Keep him safe, keep him calm, and let tomorrow be a day of pure worship and deep peace. Amen.