“My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart.”
Psalms 7:10
In 1849, Asiatic cholera spread through America (population 23 million). During the outbreak approximately 4,500 died in St. Louis, 3,000 in New Orleans and 5,000 in New York City, where many victims were buried in a mass grave on Randall’s Island. President Zachary Taylor proclaimed a National Day of Fasting, calling Americans to “humble themselves before His throne, and, while acknowledging past transgressions, ask a continuance of the Divine mercy.” He urged them “to acknowledge the Infinite Goodness which has watched over our existence as a nation, and so long crowned us with manifold blessings, and to implore the Almighty in His own good time to stay the destroying hand.”
On Friday, August 3, 1849, Americans filed into churches to unite in humility and prayer; and by the end of the month the death toll “dropped suddenly,” and the plague abated.
Our world is stained by sin, filled with suffering, and subject to plagues. But there’s never a time we can’t humble ourselves before God’s throne, acknowledge our sins, and ask for a continuance of divine mercy. His all-powerful hand can preserve and protect us, and His infinite wisdom can direct our affairs. His sovereignty is the source of our strength and stability.
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