Where was God Yesterday?

November 6, 2009

Prayer Request: Lifting Up the Victims, Family, and Friends of the Fort Hood Tragedy

The death toll stands at 13 and the wounded number 30. Let’s lift up the families of those who had their lives taken from them yesterday. Oh the grief they must have at this time must be horrific. Pray for swift and complete healing for those who have been injured. Pray also that the facts become known and those who were behind this tragedy are brought to justice quickly.

This incident brings up the age old question: How could God allow such a thing to happen…? First off, and I do not want to sound callous, but it is a fact that we live in a fallen, broken world. There is sin all around us. Sin has been present in the world since Adam and Eve.

I have often considered this question following a tragedy: How DOES God work? I believe that God works in so many ways that we can not even come close to imagining or identifying all of them. I’ll list and discuss a few of them and then leave the topic open for others to expound on in the discussion forum.

I believe that God is present and He works through His people. Those of us who label ourselves ‘Christians’ are supposed to be the hands and feet of Christ. We are called to ‘action’ in response to times like these. And that ‘action’ could take many forms.

I do not personally know any of those who were killed or injured yesterday. But have I ever faced the death of a loved one? Yes. Has God given me a heart of compassion for those who are hurting and suffering? Yes. And I believe that God was there amidst the shooting. He was protecting people. The death toll probably could have been worse.

I also believe one of God's reasons to allow things like this to happen are to draw people close to HIM. Yesterday’s event at Fort Hood sure put my day in perspective in a hurry. Up to that point, I was having a mediocre to ‘bad’ day. Then I received a text message from a friend asking for prayer for the victims. I immediately considered my day wasn’t going so bad, at all. My life was not at peril, and no one was shooting at me, or trying to do me harm. Did anyone else consider that?

We Americans are so blessed to be living in the peace and comfort and freedom that we are accustomed to. I think that is taken for granted far too often.

This discussion is far from over. I’d love to hear the perspectives of other prayer warriors about where was / is God in all this?. But let me close with this: THE PURPOSE OF THIS GROUP IS CLEAR: TODAY, WE ARE CALLED TO PRAY…!

Your brother in Christ, Coach Sam