Yes, I know what today is. I know the events that made a sea change in American history toward a more frightening place.
I've heard some people talking about the End Times and earthquakes and famine and on and on. Any day now, Jesus will come back.
Or will He?
End times? Wars without end?
The thing is, why not go back to 1930's Germany. All was quiet and then a new Chancellor came to power and before they knew it, by 1945, 6 million Jews were dead. Thousands upon thousands of people tried to hide their Jewish friends. Some succeeded, some died alongside them. Gypsies were killed. Poles were killed. Communists were killed.
Children and adults with Down's Syndrome were killed.
Deaf people were killed.
Blind people were killed.
Anyone who wasn't perfect, was killed.
Betsie ten Boom was killed.
Deitrich Bonhoeffer was killed.
Stalin's record was even worse. He killed at least 20 million of his own people. Gulags. Pogroms. Death upon miserable death.
Wars without end?
Uganda
Rwanda.
Somalia.
Chechnya.
Bosnia.
Northern Ireland.
El Salvador.
Guatemala.
Argentina.
East Timor.
Laos.
Viet Nam.
Cambodia.
North Korea.
Iraq.
Afghanistan.
Seeing a pattern?
God sees the pattern.
It looks like this.
Lord I come
Lord I thank you
For your love
For this grace divine
Love and mercy
Undeserving
You gave it all
The greatest sacrifice
You were wounded
For my sin
And You were bruised
For all my shame
You were broken
For my healing
Only by the cross
I'm saved
You're the mender of the broken
To every outcast
A friend and comforter
I come boldly to your presence
Lord I bow before your throne
You're my healer
My redeemer
You're my hope, my life, my all
You hear the cry of the broken
You hear the cry of the broken
You hear the cry of the broken
You answer the cry of the broken
You answer the cry of the broken
You answer the cry of the broken
Lord I thank you
For your love
For this grace divine
Love and mercy
Undeserving
You gave it all
The greatest sacrifice
You were wounded
For my sin
And You were bruised
For all my shame
You were broken
For my healing
Only by the cross
I'm saved
You're the mender of the broken
To every outcast
A friend and comforter
I come boldly to your presence
Lord I bow before your throne
You're my healer
My redeemer
You're my hope, my life, my all
You hear the cry of the broken
You hear the cry of the broken
You hear the cry of the broken
You answer the cry of the broken
You answer the cry of the broken
You answer the cry of the broken
I do not pretend to have any answers for anyone.
I just know Jesus has them.
He may not tell you the answers you want or need, but He's got everything else covered. Including YOU.
Love this. Jesus is the answer for the horrors of this world. It's true. We'll never understand why the horrors happen, but we do know the God is in control.
ReplyDeleteA powerful reminder of what's important. Thank you, Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. This I get (ahem). This I know is true.
Glad we got to talk this morning - hugs to you,
Becky
My mom is a doomsday type person, but I'm always reminding her that the world has been worse - and may get worse - before the end draws near. My grandfather passed away three years ago and he was into escatology - he loved watching Christian shows that predicted the return of Jesus - and at his funeral something strong struck me - he focused so much time and attention on the end times during his life here on Earth, yet he didn't live to see it. How much time fo we waste on the end, when we need to focus on the here and now? Only God knows the day and the hour - not even Jesus knew. But I have hope in redemption, I believe God desires for us to turn and for restoration to reign. I believe we have a battle, but it begins in our own homes, in our hearts. The world changed after 9/11 and it will change again one day - that's a constant truth. Thank God I have Him right here, right now.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone. Sometimes it is SO HARD to remember that God has a reason that is beyond me. And that I need to just get in behind Him and walk.
ReplyDelete