“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” (Psalm 37: 3) 

That has been my go-to verse in many situations: being a church planter’s wife in New England, mothering three kids to adulthood, navigating difficult relationships. But a global pandemic? Never in a million years would I have guessed it would need to be applied in a challenging and confining time like this.

The coronavirus has made me a little crazy and and a bit discontent. I don’t really enjoy dwelling in this particular “land” and there are days when I resent what “befriending faithfulness” means.

Please don’t misunderstand. I absolutely love hospitality and homemaking, but the quarantine brought with it a houseful of people after my husband and I had been living (and enjoying) the empty-nest life for a couple of years. Our schedules were our own. The house was quiet. The meals were small and simple. For the last eight weeks, though, my schedule has required consideration of up to seven other people existing within the confines of 1500 square feet. They all (one pastor, one paraprofessional, several high school and college students) have plenty of their own work to do – deadlines to meet, final exams to take, projects to complete, and Zoom meetings to attend. 

It all requires nourishment, which requires food, which requires menu-planning, which requires masked-and-gloved grocery store trips, and then finally the cooking of daily meals. Toss in a daily devotion, a run for exercise, some church and ministry responsibilities, and cleaning a bathroom or doing a load of laundry, and the day is done. It’s not exactly the post-stay-at-home-mom-career I was dreaming of, but here I am. And again, it’s all within the call to nurture my household, which I love and hold very dear, but it’s not what I expected in this season of life.

I’ve been doing the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan this year, and really enjoying it. A couple of weeks ago I came to Numbers chapter 4, in which Moses assigns specialized roles for the Levites in regard to transporting the tabernacle. The Kohathites were specifically called to carry – on poles, so as not to touch – the furnishings of the tabernacle. No strength-finder test, no career fair, no spiritual gifts assessment, no follow-your-passion-self-crafted life; just carry the tabernacle furnishings.

Forever.

Or for the foreseeable future, at least.

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It was actually a great privilege to be called upon to care for God’s dwelling place and thereby help facilitate the right worship of God by His people, but the privilege lost its luster, and they grew discontent. And not just discontent, but downright outraged at the seeming injustice of it all. In Numbers 16 a son of Kohath named Korah stirs up a rebellion of 250 Levite men against Moses, who they claim has “exalted himself above the assembly of the Lord” (Numbers 16:3) In effect, they are suggesting that Moses is not special nor specifically called by God, and that he has no right to assign them the menial task of carrying and caring for tabernacle furnishings. They aspire to be priests.

It was a very grave situation in God’s view. So serious were their discontented and disgruntled attitudes that, in a standoff with Moses, Korah and the 250 men were consumed by fire and then swallowed up in a sinkhole of sorts leading straight to Sheol.

Though the overarching message of this historical account has to do with the preservation of the priestly type, God’s holiness, and submission to His good authority, its application to my life was clear: serving others is a privilege like none other. My seemingly menial quarantine chores are actually sacred in God’s view and can be offered back to Him in worship.

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You may have noticed that some of the Psalms were written by the sons of Korah – likely the descendants of those who rebelled. Though the authors and titles to the Psalms you read in your English translation may not always be accurate, there is one psalm that seems unquestionable in its attribution to the sons of Korah, and that is Psalm 84:

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy in the living God. (v. 1-2)

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (v. 10)

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The transformation of their perspective is undeniable. They now treasure whatever responsibilities they are given by God and count them a privilege.

Though my heart battles discontentment some days, I’m trying to sing with the transformed and contented sons of Korah,

 “How lovely is my pandemic household! My heart takes joy in You, Lord, and Your call to serve them well. For a few months in quarantine with You and them is better than a thousand months in the career of my dreams without You and away from them. I would rather sweep the floor and serve the food in a full house than dwell independently in an empty nest. Help me to trust you and to befriend faithfulness in these days.”

P.S. I am thoroughly enjoying my tour through the Bible by using the M’Cheyne reading plan, and I find the accompanying daily three minute podcast provided by The Gospel Coalition especially insightful. (Check it out, and don’t worry that you’re behind a few months!)