September 11 Anniversary
It was certainly a low point in many people’s lives.
Reference: v.9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? (TNIV Bible)
Explore: At the time of writing this blog we have just had the 10th anniversary of September 11. Ten years ago the whole world shook as the news spread of a terrorist attack on the USA as two planes flew into the twin towers. I was listening to a couple of interviews of people who were at Ground Zero when it all happened. Their honest recollection of events and feelings was still so clear a decade on. It was certainly a low point in many people’s lives. And yet these people expressed a greater understanding of God through their experience. They did not believe that God brought this on the people of America, but one lady said she had suffered the consequence of the wrong doing of others. It was God who held her through the hard times; it was not He who brought the hard times.
Application: We may not have been through a 9/11 situation, but every single person has had his or her trials. It is easy to point the finger at God in these times and ask why such things would happen to people He supposedly loves. We would not be alone in thinking such thoughts. Even the Psalmist struggled to understand God’s purpose during times of distress. And yet, just as those survivors of 9/11 expressed, God is always present. He was present before the trials, He is present during the trial, and He is present after the trial has passed. The Psalmist found it comforting to look back on his understanding of God and remind himself of all the times that God did prevail. When we’re experiencing the troubles it is often hard to see God, but we have faith that He is there and we know, that when we get through it, we will look back and see His love and care.
Prayer: Lord, we pray for those who are struggling at the moment. May they have the strength to look back and see how real you are, and the perseverance to stay true to your path. Amen.
Who do you know that is struggling? How can you encourage them to rely on God during this time?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.