This morning I'm praying about
Corruption, crime, poverty, starvation, and hopelessness have been profound in their grip on these people. In the midst of what is evil there have been bright lights of the Gospel of Christ and consistent efforts of His people to make a difference.
As I watch the news and hear the stories of death and devastation, as we (fellow humans) take the immediate steps of getting food and water to the people, as we attempt to find living souls displaced or underneath rubble, as we search for answers to a crisis that has changed the face of a nation, I respectfully cast the vision of my faith down the road a little farther.
I'm thinking about what might be elements of the "rebuild." I don't claim to be a sociologist. Pastoral statements in this realm can quickly be reductionistic or painfully simplistic and expose my lack of understanding of a culture or the depth of their need. But they're my thoughts –
1. The "strong man" must be bound (Matt 11:29). Where evil has claimed ownership and produced its fruit there needs to be a rebuilding that takes away its largely unchallenged reign.
2. Change is a buzz word everyone likes to claim but few will be held accountable to its value. Every politian I remember has been elected on a platform of change, but there are still the problems they claim to have fixed; and most often their "change" has created new ones. The issue isn't just change – it's advancement.
3. People are the issue. Politics will never fix a greed problem. Charity will never fully end poverty. Laws will not eradicate crime. Who people worship determines the way people are, how people think, and what people value. The hearts of people need to hear, experience, and live the message of Jesus Christ. This is a soul issue. A repentant and humble nation before God will value people and know His blessing.
4. God can. There is a nation that is ready for revival in ways that we are not. Churches have a new platform with or without buildings. Christians have a message that is needed. Light can overtake the darkness. God can use this in ways that go beyond our ability to imagine. There is hope for a new foundation!
Right now we pray for the immediate needs – water, food, medical care, rescue, mourning, shelter. But there is a part of me that is thinking and praying deeper, beyond the immediate that is so real. I pray for a transformation that will demand the world's attention and be a standard for us to reach up to.
Praying for
Pastor Dave
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