Here in Dallas County, we are under shelter-in-place orders as part of the plan to slow the progress of the global coronavirus pandemic.¹ Many are working from home. Others have been laid off or are in fear of losing their jobs. For the time being, it seems as if the world has come to a screeching halt.

Internal clocks are amazing examples of God’s providential care for his creation. One recent study showed embryonic “clocks” in chickens function like a construction schedule for the formation of their bodies.¹ Another study indicated that plants are able to communicate and synchronize their internal clocks in remarkable ways.²

A recent report from The Guardian suggests that the ancient city of Pompeii may have had the world’s oldest known recycling program.¹ A team of researchers has uncovered evidence that mounds of trash outside the city were collected to use as materials for various building projects.

A recent study conducted by researchers from Harvard University found that deaths from despair are significantly less common among healthcare workers who regularly attend religious services.¹ A “death from despair” was defined as one related to alcohol, drugs, or suicide.

They summarized their findings in the journal JAMA Psychiatry:

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)