Daily Devotional for June 21, 2015

Luke 22:41-44
He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?” At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.

This morning as we got ready to go to church, I listened to the live broadcast of worship services at “Mother Emmanuel” A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina.  Just four nights ago, 9 members were massacred there by a 21-year-old man who claimed to hate black people and told them, You’ve got to go.”  Today, members of the congregation – and Charleston at large – gathered to worship God…to remember those who were killed… and to offer hope and encouragement to one another – and to the world.

During the service, the altar was opened for prayer, and as several knelt there, the crowd sang the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”  It is hard for many to fathom how we can sing these words in days following such a heinous act.  How can we sing that God doesn’t change – and neither does His compassion and care - when nine people who were gathered to study God’s word and pray were gunned down, even as they worshipped Him? 

How can we declare that everything we have ever needed has been provided by God…that His mercies never fail…when the very people who welcomed a stranger into their midst were betrayed and assassinated?  The better question is…”How can we not?”

We need look no further than Jesus’ actions in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He cried out to God to relieve Him of the suffering that was to come – to “take the cup” of impending brutality, torture, and agonizing death…but only if it be God’s will.  And many will ask, “How can we serve a God who would allow such atrocities…even to His only Son?”  Again, the answer is found in another question…”How can we not?”

The full answer lies in the greatness and magnitude of God’s love and commitment to us.  This began with Noah and God’s promise to never wipe out His people again. God made covenants with us to always have our back…to always offer us love, mercy, second chances, and forgiveness.  And the only way to really make this work was to sacrifice His only Son – Jesus – on the cross.  And somehow, whether we realize it or not…the only way God could make His perfect plans work was to call these nine church members to Heaven at the hands of a deranged gunman.  We may never see the “end result” of this event…we may never fully understand what God intended by allowing this horrific crime to occur…but we must accept it and trust that God is in the details. 

Be assured that God will not waste these lives – or the way in which they ended.  This is evidenced already in the media coverage and the public reaction to these deaths.  Additionally, scripture tells us that an angel appeared to comfort Jesus in His grief and anguish. Surely God sent angels to surround those nine on Wednesday night – and He is surrounding many with angels of comfort and compassion even today as they grieve, mourn and sort through the roller-coaster emotions of this aftermath.

I pray that God never calls you or me to face a deranged killer.  But I know that He will test each of us throughout our lifetimes.  How will we fare?  Will we have the strength, courage – and faith – to say, “Your will, not mine”?  Will we call out for mercy with the intent to fully accept whatever decision God makes?  Will we still be able to claim the blessings of God…even when our world seems to be crumbling around us?

Do we fully understand God’s faithfulness over us…how He is holding up His end of the covenant bargain?  Or do we question His presence, particularly when tragedies like this one arise?  Are we fully committed to God’s will…no matter how difficult it may seem? Can we sing “Great is Thy faithfulness” with confidence in all circumstances…and a heart for serving Him in all things?  Could THIS be what God intended in Charleston last Wednesday? Will this be the day that we begin to make it so? 

©2015 Debbie Robus