It's normal to feel fearful during a crisis--especially a global one. Life has been turned on its head for most of us, and it's easy to feel stressed and anxious about this new normal we're living in. It's natural, in fact. But here's the deal: we're not called to natural living. We are called to exist on the higher plane of supernatural living.

To do that successfully, we need to take our cues from Scripture. In Psalm 27, David was going through not just a personal crisis but a national one as well, which makes it applicable to our current situation. From this psalm, let's look at five things that should mark the believer's life in a time of crisis:

1. Vigilance. "The wicked came against me…. An army may encamp against me…[and] war may rise against me" (vv. 2-3). David was aware of the threats around him; he knew that he lived in a dangerous world. In the same way, we need to be alert and aware of the potential danger around us. One day, God is going to eradicate all evil and disease, but for now, we must be vigilant. Having said that, you certainly can't stop there.

2. Confidence. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?... Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident" (vv. 1, 3). David here was being theologically logical. He was saying, "Because the sovereign, all-powerful God is my light and my salvation, I'm not going to fear." You don't have to be afraid of an enemy that is unseen when you have a friend who, though also unseen, can see you right where you're at. The Bible says that "we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). We can walk confidently in the dark because God is light.

3. Reverence. "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple" (v. 4). Many of us are beholding a lot of the news and Netflix right now. Take time to behold the Lord, both through His Word and through His beauty in creation, if you can. Let this trial move you to fill your daily life with worship and prayer. And when trouble threatens to overwhelm you, let God overwhelm your trouble.

4. Obedience. "When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek'" (v. 8). God might have audibly spoken to David here, but I think He was probably nudging David through the present distress he was experiencing, as if the crisis amplified God's voice better than ever before. Could it be God is speaking to us through this unprecedented time? Let's demonstrate our trust in Him and enjoy the promises He has made while also looking to help our neighbors and those most vulnerable in our communities.

5. Expectance. "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (v. 13). Are you expecting to see God's goodness displayed in the midst of this chaos? Have you really entrusted this time to Him? This may not be over for a while, but it won't last forever. So be a Christian through it. Perseverance and prayer are better than panic.

God doesn't always keep us from tragedy or heal us miraculously. Yes, He can calm storms, but He usually calms us in the midst of the storm. That's what I'm praying for you, in the name of Jesus. May He calm your nerves and strengthen your faith during this uncertain time, and may you choose to live on that higher plane of supernatural living.