Let Us Mourn

    I know you are hurting. So am I.

   So, let me say, it’s okay to grieve, so let us grieve. We can mourn, so let us do so. We can pray, so let us pray.

   I understand this tragedy erupts a flood of empathetic emotions in many of you, like my friend, a 78-year-old father in my EMAW group, who expressed deep mourning for the victims and their families last night. Understandably so, as he lost his oldest son years ago in an automobile accident. His youngest son, also in our group, just witnessed a tragic accident on Monday, bringing back sorrow from losing his older brother.

   So, tell our Heavenly Father, that you are heartbroken. A deranged teenager is to blame, but we want to be angry at someone, at some people, even God, for letting this happen. We can turn away from, or turn off, the reporting and the sadness lessens, but the families cannot. The injured cannot turn off the pain. The witnesses cannot turn away from the trauma, they cannot silence the memories of the cries of horror and fear. The medical personnel who treated and will continue to treat the survivors cannot “turn it off”.

   And God does not turn away. Some people will mock the “thoughts and prayers” we give, but God’s comfort is real so let them mock as we pray. God’s comforting Holy Spirit can soothe even though it will not silence the pain. Nothing can, not even time. The excitement of coming summer was replaced yesterday with a lifetime of terrible, horrendous memories which will fade, but it will not ease anytime soon. It will never completely fade away.

   The bottle of tears God collects bulged even more yesterday and will grow even more tomorrow. This world is hurting, and it always has. But the ultimate and eternal future is bright.

You are struck with sadness as I am, and maybe our tears are from griefs that resonate from unrelated hurts but are now coming to the surface. The cause of sorrows within us may be different, but we can share their griefs. So can Christ. Billy Graham wrote this years ago:

“May God give us the sensitivity to recognize these needs in those around us. While grief can turn us inward, compassion for others should turn us outward. Not only do we gladly bear one another’s burdens we also bear (carry) the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is the ultimate burden bearer, for Scripture tells us that He bears our griefs and carries our sorrows.”

Isaiah 53:4-5 says, “Surely, He has borne our griefs ​and carried our sorrows; ​​yet we esteemed Him stricken, ​​smitten by God, and afflicted. ​​But He was wounded for our transgressions, ​​He was bruised for our iniquities; ​​The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Our burdens can broaden as others share them with us and we with them. But they will never disappear.

You and I must choose to look at the stable stars and not the falling ones. I am so proud of the teachers who serve our children, day after day. I love the parents who loved their children and thankful for those children who were able to come home yesterday, and the day before, and those who will come home today. We can beam and smile at children who are kind to those who are different. I praise God for the border patrol and all of the “good guys” with guns to stop the evil, deranged, and demonized persons.

No, thanking some people who are good will not take away from the tragedy. But if you and I focus on things which are “true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and are praiseworthy,” perhaps then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7-8).

Be Careful What You Pray For...

 

1 Samuel 12-13

"You said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God was your king. … the Lord has set a king over you.”
… “We have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” (12:12,13,19)

God reigns over His people, regardless of whether a judge or a king is there. Election after election, it seems we have a choice of “the lesser of two evils” or as one stated it, “the evil of two ‘lessers’.” In a good and godly society, a democracy will elect good and godly leaders. However, societies are rarely, if ever, good and godly.

The solution? 

Samuel’s solution is found in 1 Samuel 12:23, “…far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”

A pattern emerges in the lives of believers who seek the Lord.

1.       1. Recognize the sin. The people had asked for a king, contrary to what the Lord said. We must remember that sometimes God will answer our prayers even if they are contrary to His perfect will. We must confess what we have done wrong. The Greek word for confess is “homo-logeo” which means “same words” or “same profession”. If you prayed for something and actually received your request from the Lord to your own regret, first of all recognize your sin. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in John 16:8, was to "convict the world of sin". 

2.       2. Remorse. Truly grieve over what grieves the Lord. Worldly sorrow produces death. Godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Learn from your mistakes. If God allows something to happen, like the anointing of a king, against His perfect will, it is part of His permissive will. Learn from what has happened, then pray that God will still be glorified in what has occurred. Peter was grieved when Jesus asked him three times "do you love Me", the same number of times Peter had denied his Lord (John 21:17). 

3.       3. Repent. For sins of commission, stop doing what is wrong; for sins of omission, start doing what is right. Proverbs 28:13 says we must confess and forsake our sins. Even if there are sins which have led you down the broken road, God always accomplishes His purposeful will. In the case of Israel, they needed to repent, but their sins did not thwart God's sovereignty. God's purpose is to reveal His glory, regardless of our actions. When we spot the error of our ways or even our prayers, admit it to God (recognize), express your sorry (remorse) and resolve to not do it again, or to not omit doing it again (repent). Jesus used the word "repent" eight times to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3.  

4.       4. Restore. Sins can never be undone. Only Jesus is the “Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets” (Isaiah 58:12). In some cases, though, we can make restitution. The sons of Israel could not undo the damage of selling Joseph to slavery, but they were given an opportunity to restore themselves in the eyes of Joseph (see Genesis 41-50). This is God's prescribed will. Zacchaeus restored fourfold what he had wrongfully taken (Luke 19:8, prescribed in 2 Samuel 12:6).

5.       5. Reconcile. When we practice all five “R”s, we are exemplifying Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We were enemies of God, but Christ brings us together; we are to do the same (Romans 5:10-12).Through Christ, we are reconciled with God, despite our sins. After wrongfully asking for a king and God grudgingly granting them a king, Israel needed to reconcile with God. When we and God are on the same side of obedience, we will discern God's perceived will. Proverbs 1:2 says that through prayerful study of His wisdom, instruction, and understanding, His Holy Spirit will allow us to perceive his will. "To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding." That is why it is important to be reconciled to God, so that He can grant us a perception of what He is up to.  "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove (ESV, CSB="discern", NIV="test and approve") what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." The woman at the well perceived Jesus was a prophet (John 4:19).

Seek God’s guidance today to follow this pattern.