In the past 8 days 16 people have died in car accidents in MN. There was also an accident in Wisconsin where a Sheriff Deputy was also killed. The later one affects me because he was a husband and a father. He was married to a former summer staff. The past school year has also seen multiple suicides. My wife and I spent this last weekend working with teenagers where we heard numerous stories of cutting, suicide, attempted suicides, and an overall loss of hope. In times like these, the question, "Why God Why?" is asked. People shake their fists in anger, bow their heads in confusion, and some walk away from God in these moments.
If you are reading with me, this morning was spent in Galatians 1:5-10.
What: Paul is speaking about the Gospel. Not necessarily the message of the Gospel, but he is expressing more of a desire to return to the true Gospel. The Galatian church was drifting from what they originally heard from Paul and were adopting a false version of the message of Jesus.
Why: This stands out to me not only because of the reminder to get back to the original message of Jesus Christ, but it is also a reminder to proclaim that message. This is a message of hope and of restoration. Christ came to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, set captives free; ultimately offering an abundant life in Him. Any other message than this leads us astray.
How: This passage in Galatians points us back to the life and death of Jesus. Paul claimed to know nothing and to preach nothing other than Christ and Him crucified. Our lives are to be a reflection of that. Being a follower of Jesus, I have hope. This hope is an everlasting hope which does not disappoint. It can be easy to lose sight of that hope though with all this world throws at us. My application from this passage is a call to hope! It is a call to comfort! It is a call to offer people a side of Jesus they have not seen and do not easily recognize in America these days...this side of Jesus is His compassion and willingness to walk through suffering with people. Today, if you are affected by one of these deaths directly, or know of someone who is; remember that Jesus came to give an abundant life. Today is a sad day, full of mourning. But, the message of the cross offers comfort. Pray for those families effected by these horrible tragedies, but more than pray for them, walk with them as they live through this time of terrible pain.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
See you tomorrow! Galatians 1:11-24.
In His service,CrazyPete
At times like these I think it should make us fall down and thank the Lord for our salvation. Also, as hard as it is, as we mourn for the loss, shouldn't we also be praising God? For all things are done through Him for His glory, I think it is important to remember that God is allowing these things so that ultimately, in some way, He will be glorified.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the theology behind giving God the glory. I do not question that. I wonder how to go about comforting a family dealing with such a loss. Yes, God will get the glory; in a way I cannot see or understand right away. But, if someone told me while I was mourning my mom that this was for God's glory, I would have been pretty upset. Or what about a family who is on the verge of becoming a Jesus follower? A comment like this could send them spinning. Again, I do not disagree with the theology, but I question how it applies in real life situations such as we are facing now.
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely difficult to give God his due glory when things are good, even more so when things are bad. How much better could it be though if we could all get to that point? It does not, by any means, mean that we should not mourn the loss or be sad, or miss the people. We may actually never even know what God is doing through these things, but can take comfort in knowing that He is in complete control.
ReplyDelete