Scripture
“Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’
~Luke 23:28-29, NLT
Quote
The true believer will try to do good to others; to lessen their suffering and increase their happiness.
~John Charles Ryle
We live in an imperfect world where there is sin and suffering. The bandits shot Soy, which is sin, but now his family suffers. There is a direct connection between sin and suffering. If you will take the time to look and listen, you will discover hurting people in every direction. Drugs, disease, divorce, depression and death are everywhere. Obviously, I care about my friends who are hurting. If they hurt, I hurt. The bigger question is: does God care? Does He see what is going on? The Bible assures us that He sees and He cares. Jesus, God incarnate wept with Mary and Martha at the grave of Lazarus. When Jesus was on the way to the cross, the women of Jerusalem were following, weeping as they went. Jesus spoke these unbelievable words, “Don’t weep for me, weep for yourselves and your children.” Why would Jesus say such a thing? Probably because He could see the destruction of Jerusalem that was coming 40 years later. The entire city of Jerusalem would be under siege for five long months and those inside the wall would resort to cannabilism just to survive. It is described as the most horrible time in Jewish history. God loved us so much He sent His Son. The incarnation is proof that God cares about our suffering.
In reading Calvin Miller’s daily devotional, I came across these two heart breaking stories. I tell them simply to remind you that there is much suffering in this sin cursed world.
The Nazis dug massive graves and made the Jews go down into them. Then they would shoot them in the head. One Jewish woman raised her child as high as she could and begged the Nazis to spare him. They shot the baby first and then moments later shot the mother. More recently in Somalia, where Muslim murder and confiscate all the food and medical supplies so that others will suffer, a woman was forced to flea to the safety of a UN food compound. The journey took days as she carried her son who was not much more than a skeleton. By the time she reached the compound, she collapsed in exhaustion. She didn’t recover. A few hours later, her son dug her grave but he was so weak and malnourished, that he fell in the grave on top of his mother and died. Both were buried in the same grave. If we looked for them, we could find a horror story every day but if you are like me, you don’t want to look.
Why repeat these two stories? It may prompt us to give thanks to the LORD for His goodness to us. It could remind us that this world is not our home. Who can love a world that shots babies in the head and missionaries in the stomach or starves people out of pure hate.
Extra
When I came to the office this morning; there was moisture in the air. I wouldn’t call it rain but it is a heavy mist and it has tacked the leaves down. I praise the LORD for it. It will help our turnip green patch. TGIF. I hope you have a great Friday and a good weekend. Remember to pray for your pastor as he prepares and delivers God’s word on Sunday. It is an awesome responsibility and I can assure you he appreciates your prayers.