9-12-2017

Good Morning All,

          Psalm 25:4; “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.”

 We have seen some interesting events recently.  There is Harvey in Texas, there is Irma in Florida, we have Jose spinning in the Atlantic.  There is an earthquake in Mexico and wildfires in the western states.  It seems like things are getting out of whack.  We went from very, very dry to fairly wet almost overnight.  We wonder why.  Why does this happen?

    When we see earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, when we see lives turned upside down in a heartbeat; there is a general “what is happening?”  This same question gets asked on a smaller level when a person gets killed in a car wreck or some other personal tragedy occurs and the question arises “why?”; why does God allow this or even why did God do this?  Why does my mother have Alzheimer’s disease?  Why does the rest of my family deny it and fight me on it?  Why can’t I get job?  Why can’t we have a baby?  Why did my spouse leave me?  We have lots of questions but sometimes lack an answer.  The answer lies in Scripture.

     The age-old dilemma that we battle is the same one that Adam and Eve struggled with; we want to be like God and we expect God to answer to our demands for explanations and show us why events occur.  This is not the way God designed it.  He did not design things so that we would know everything; this was to be his domain and his domain alone.  This type of knowledge would only lead to greater pain for us in the long run.  Imagine knowing that you or a loved one faced some form of debilitating disease, would you really want to know this?  Rather than seek the why we should follow the path that God has laid out for us and this path is one of love.

    We may never know the “why” of an event but we can follow God’s path and use the event to reveal God’s grace, grace that is active and alive in our lives, to the people around us especially to those who are in need or are in pain or are full of sorrow or are lost or hurting.  God’s path for us is to show the love of the Father to all those we meet.  God’s path is to respond to our brother and sister with compassion and with empathy.  It is not a time to challenge God but to challenge our own heart with the desire to share the mercy of God with those around us.  It is a time to reach out with love to aid those who are hurting, lost and broken.  God enables us, he empowers us, God equips us and God gives us the path to walk to do his will in this broken and hurting world.  Seek God’s path; love one another even as Jesus has loved us.  Why do things that I cannot explain occur?  I don’t know but I am placed on that path to share God’s love with those around.

Gracious Father, your ways are greater than my ways.  Keep me humble in service to you.  Lead me to the people who are in need of your mercy.  Lead me in the paths of your grace so that your righteousness may be seen through me.  Help me to show your love to all.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret