“Be angry and sin not.”

Frustration

In a world where children die and chaos creates bad decision-making scenarios, how on earth do we obey this?

As I have watched the news feeds and listened to the commentary and rhetoric, part of me is heartbroken, part of me is livid, and my mind screams, “What is this for, Lord?”

Fallen World

We live in a very fallen world. Most believers in Jesus believe we are racing toward “end time events” or that “we are already in the Tribulation.” What we do know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that the enemy of mankind’s souls is alive and well on planet earth and doing his best work of killing, stealing, and destroying by using his lies and deceit.

Families are Broken

Rather than pointing a finger of blame, I ask only this: please pray. Pray for the truth. Pray for the broken hearts of families and the community.  For those who are trying to put the puzzle pieces together to learn what went wrong and how to best learn from choices made in the heat of a situation, Pray. Pray for a community to do what communities do best in the wake of disaster: pull together, nurture, love, forgive, and honor those who are no longer here.

https://youtu.be/04uKAWKEoG8  Nicole Mullins  The God Who Sees

For Now, We Mourn

God was not shocked by this but He is in the redeeming business. He makes beauty from ashes. Our God builds and equips people to make a change. He comforts those who mourn. He will have His vengeance for “vengeance is MINE saith the LORD.”

Alisa Turner My Prayer For You   https://youtu.be/hj_0pvIGkks     

Father,

As we hear of wars, rumors of wars, the massacre of “innocents”, and the finger-pointing of blame, Lord God of Heaven may we focus on You and watch to see what good You alone can bring from the events that play out on the daily news. Keep our eyes on YOU, LORD! Help us to grieve with hope. Help us to reach out in our own community and to see the pain and evil in another’s heart that can cause such destruction. Like our veterans who we honor, may we be willing to sign the blank check for Your work and the protection of Your kingdom here on earth.

For those whose families mourn, we ask You to comfort as only you can. Soldiers come in all ages and sizes. They fight. You win. Help us see past the here and now and to focus on how You will use evil to win hearts and build Your kingdom. Lord, you were not caught by surprise. Jesus is always with us in the fire, in the pit with lions, at the stoning, at the Red Sea, and in every other battle, we face. “He is acquainted with our grief.”

 

Father,

You have instructed us to give thanks in all things. This is difficult to do when hearts are shattered and minds are numbed with sorrow. Today, I will stand in the gap for those who are not able to form a sentence, lookup, or have hope. Today, I will say “thank you” for all You are doing and will do through the trials we face as individuals, as a community, as a nation, and as a world in desperate need of a Savior. May the name of Jesus be on our lips in prayer with thanksgiving every time our attention is brought to the ills of this world. Thank you for every life given, the joy they gave, and how their lives will continue to speak. Thank you for the truth that always brings light into darkness.  For holding every grieving soul in Your arms, we thank you. Thank you for Jesus who redeems all things.

 

Let it be so…….

Yvonne Jones