I
woke up this morning as many of you did with the heartbreaking news
that there has been another mass shooting. At the time I am writing
this, the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio early this Sunday morning has
claimed nine lives. As many have noted, this is becoming far too
common-place. What is not common-place is to have two mass shootings
in twenty-four hours. But that is exactly what has happened, as there
was an even deadlier shooting yesterday morning in El Paso, Texas. This shooter tragically took twenty lives, with at least twenty-three
others injured.
I
can remember twenty years ago (it's hard to imagine that it was that
long ago!), that the tragic school shooting took place in Columbine
High School in Colorado. People were traumatized that something of
this magnitude could happen in America. Yet, now, twenty years out,
we have become so used to these events that within a short time we
will move on. We have become numb to the tragedy. However, we must
not become numb to this. We have to face the fact that something is
tragically wrong in our society.
Each
time that one of this events take place, there is a flurry of blame
to be placed and a bevy of answers that are proposed. The left will
say that the cause is guns and the answer is gun control. The right
might say that the problem is mental health or illegal immigration,
and then propose its own answers. Yet, when we look
to the left or the right, we are looking in the wrong direction. The
direction we need to be looking is up.
Many
will be saying, "Where was God when these things occurred?"
Yet I have to say that it is hubris of the highest order to believe
that we can turn from God as a society en masse and then declare that
He should have been there to stop tragedy when the gunman pull the
trigger. The child who runs away from home out from under the
protection of his father cannot become angry when he runs into
difficulty and the father is not there to deliver him.
For
My people have committed two evils:
They
have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
And
hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can
hold
no water. (Jer. 2:13)
This country, though never perfect, was for many decades a place where God and the things of God held a place of honor and reverence. The recent 75th anniversary of D-Day brings to mind the prayer that President Roosevelt prayed on behalf of the nation on that momentous day…
Almighty
God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty
endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our
civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead
them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to
their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They
will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the
enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come
with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know
that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons
will triumph..The president would go on to call the country, not to a day of prayer, but to “devote themselves in a continuance of prayer.” He would continue…
The
president would go on to call the country, not to a day of prayer,
but to “devote themselves in a continuance of prayer.” He
would continue…
As
we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words
of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
It
is almost impossible to imagine a president today calling on people
to pray in such an unapologetic way. In Roosevelt’s day, the people
responded by doing as he asked. Today, I’m afraid that such a plea
would result in outrage by some and indifference by others.
Most
tragically, it is the lukewarmness of the church of Jesus Christ in
this country and the lack of fervent prayer that is surely the most
unbecoming to God. The prayer closet and the prayer meeting are
largely empty. Those who profess Christ are content to ride on the
surface of a superficial Christianity that has no depth to it. The
words of Jeremiah have more to do with a fallen church than a fallen
nation. We who profess Christ have largely forsaken God, and replaced
him with “broken cisterns which hold no water.” We have programs,
plans, concerts, plays, and much synthetic worship, but no real heart
for God. As a consequence, the spiritual wells that we are to draw
from in most cases hold no water.
Church,
it is a time to turn to God...It is a time to “rebuild the ancient
ruins” (Isaiah 61:4). It is a time to get back to prayer and to
seek God with a new earnestness. Jeremiah said in another place, “You
will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
(Jer. 29:13) It is a time for brokenness. A time to fall on our
faces in repentance. God spoke through Hosea saying these words,
which are so relevant to us today…
“Therefore,
return to your God.
Observe
kindness and justice,
And
wait for your God continually.” (Hosea 12:6)
The
answer is...where it has always been. It is in God. Our God is a God
who is ready and eager to forgive. He is a God who will be found,
when we seek Him with our whole heart.
God
is our refuge and strength,
A
very present help in trouble…
Cease
striving and know that I am God;
I
will be exalted among the nations.
I
will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:1; 10)
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