Dear Precious Friends,
As we embrace the gift of this day and the preciousness of our life, we are more aware than ever of how life can change in a second and our hearts are broken for those in Uvalde. We pray for the broken-hearted.
In the name of Jesus, may you feel Him cover you with His peace, the peace that passes all understanding so that it will guard your heart and mind. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those crushed in spirit. Draw near. We pray for the broken hearts of these moms and dads. We pray for the brothers and sisters of those who perished. We mourn with those who mourn and our hearts are with you, Texas.
When things are uncertain, scary, or confusing, we put our hope in the one true God who loves us and knows us right down to the number of hairs on our head. We live in a sin filled world when we separated ourselves from God in the garden of Eden. He gave us live for the world He created. Even though we betrayed God, He didn't abandon us. God promised to send a savior, Jesus, who would rescue us from the consequences of our rebellion. God's Son became like one of us so that all could see what God was really like. He lived His brief life without fault. He spoke the truth to us. He displayed real love. He restored broken people and offered life in all its fullness. Life's greatest mystery was revealed in love's greatest act. Jesus, the author of life, died for us, paying the penalty for all our wrongdoing.” Our connection with God is restored and we can grow in our trust of Him, learning to trust Him even when life doesn’t make sense from our perspective. With this power to change, we’re able to love God, love people, offer forgiveness to others, experience peace within, and look forward to complete restoration. The end of God’s story is coming soon. Jesus will come back to make all things right. Our hero and rescuer will restore what was lost and damaged by our betrayal. All people will be judged with perfect justice. The guilty will be sentenced and their lives of separation from God will culminate in endless anguish as they continue on their path of self-absorption and self-centeredness, on and on forever. You ask, “Where is God when there’s all this suffering in the world?” and I say, He’s right here, too. God is suffering, too. He did not make us to endure life like this. We were made for something entirely different and entirely good. God is angry at this cancer of selfishness, rebellion and self-destruction, and He weeps over this evil, though He tolerates it for a time. God allows evil and suffering — even seemingly senseless suffering — for a greater purpose, but He doesn’t create suffering. Sometimes it takes a deep hurt to find a deep need for God, and He’s willing to use hurts and pain to lead us to Him. As we think about the suffering, pain, and evil in the world, we can take comfort knowing that God will make every wrong right. The day will come when evil will be avenged, when brokenness will be healed, and justice will reign. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4).
Our hearts, our love, our prayers cry out to the Lord for those in Uvalde. Be with this community Lord and comfort them as only you can.
Amen.
