Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. Psalm 107:21-22.

You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. John 16:22.

This morning in our early morning prayer group we experienced a few technical glitches and delays but once we began praying for one another, it was clear that what was on our minds and hearts was family. As we continued to uplift one another I couldn’t help but marvel that there were 8 people from around the world joined together in our love for God that God brought into being. He has touched our hearts with a need for closeness with Him. One of our group talked about seeing a memorial to the genocide in a neighboring country, a genocide so terrible it has left the remaining residents reflective and still. How can we not be unchanged by the hate and violence in this world? How can we not be changed by God’s love for us and by His grace within us reaching out to one another to bind us in His love?

I thought about that hate leading to genocide while reading our next chapter, Psalm 3. David was fleeing from his own son whom he loved. What was in his sons heart? What was in the hearts of those following his son to destruction? One of the verses sounds so harsh…Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked, v. 7. Do we not pray that God would stop those who commit genocide? Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! v. 1. Do they think God doesn’t see? Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” v. 2. But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord and he answers me from his holy mountain….I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me…I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side…From the Lord comes deliverance…May your blessing be on your people. v. 4, 5, 6, 8. The Psalms are not passive. They are stark in our need for God. 

I think about the violence, the confusion, the lostness of so many in our world today. Every single lack can and will be filled by our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. We know the end of the story but what about now? People all over this world are finding that God works small. He begins in the heart and mind. He asks us to trust Him. How can we not? Today we are experiencing cold, below freezing temperatures again and yet in the other part of our world is their summer, rich with warmth and growth. The sun rises to warm our landscape and will set to give another day to the other side of our world. Like clockwork. Physical blessing after physical blessing so easy to take for granted as our due. If that is all there is, how much we are missing! Come close. Lean in. God is here and working in our hearts and when we finally understand that, a world of wonder opens up. The wonder of God’s love for us helping us understand He has us. From the Lord comes deliverance. He not only has us but others. God is not tribal or political or religious. It is His love that will bind us and heal us. One day victims of tribal genocide, political hate, religious violence will be resurrected to life with our wonderful God and with us who have learned with Him the most important truth there is. God is love.