How wretched we are. The most recent headline on the news is a sure testifier to the condition of the world. Little children have been exchanged for a despair that only the peace of Jesus can supplement. So many people are hurting, angry, and proclaiming the need of a Savior. Hearts are stirred far and wide. The world cries out for revenge.
What grieves my heart even more than the tragedy is that it takes an event of this measure for Christians to even acknowledge the desperation of the world. This is what it takes for Christians to get on their knees and taste the heart of the God they claim to serve. "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." That is one dangerous plea and I honestly believe that most don't understand the weight of it.
This catastrophe has made people angry, and it very well should. But if believers are out on the frontline with a heart of vengeance, then they don't look any different from everyone else. Where is the grace of Jesus that they received through faith?
My mind swarms with questions and my heart with feelings concerning the tragedy that took place today. From every angle you could possibly look at it, everything goes back to a need for Jesus.
One of the best ways I can express my heart is through these verses:
"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." 1 Timothy 1:12-15 (NASB)
"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;" Proverbs 25:21
If the men responsible for the devastation were thirsty, I would hope my brothers and sisters in Christ would give them something to drink.
We shouldn't be surprised that a broken world produces destruction. What was done is sickening, twisted, repulsive, and wrong on every level, but His grace goes further still.
