“My God Understands”
As I was listening to CNN on the radio in my car yesterday on the way home from the grocery store, the coverage was flooded with news and reports on the mass shooting in a small church in Texas. What stuck in my mind is the pastor’s reply to the question of “Why do you think this happened?” He answered, “I don’t understand, but my God does”.
Only God sees clearly a man’s heart and motives. We can only speculate what may have driven someone to take the lives of so many innocent people. There are specialists who are looking at the past history of the criminal. Violence has been reported at earlier times in his life. Why? Can we fully comprehend what is in the mind and heart of another? Perhaps, there are those who can try in order to possibly prevent the reoccurrence of a similar act.
But, what we do know, is God understands. He knows perfectly what is going on. He alone has every answer. So where does this drive us? Hopefully, to Truth. To the Word. To what we can know.
1Ch 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
Job 28:20-24 "Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? 21 "Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the sky. 22 "Abaddon and Death say, 'With our ears we have heard a report of it.' 23 "God understands its way; And He knows its place. 24 "For He looks to the ends of the earth, And sees everything under the heavens.
Ps 33:14-15 From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth,15 He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works.
We can know that God understands. We can know that God will deliver perfect and righteous judgement.
1Sa 2:10a "Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
1Ch 16:33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; For He is coming to judge the earth.
Ps 9:8 And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
Ps 50:6 And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. Selah.
Ps 96:13 Before the LORD, for He is coming; for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.
Ps 135:14 For the LORD will judge His people, And will have compassion on His servants.
Ec 3:17 I said to myself, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.
Isa 11:4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
Eze 18:30 "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord GOD. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you.
Eze 24:14 "I, the LORD, have spoken; it is coming and I shall act. I shall not relent, and I shall not pity, and I shall not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I shall judge you," declares the Lord GOD.'"
We can know that we can be saved from the judgement of death for our own sin.
Joh 3:17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
Joh 12:44-50 And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 45 "And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me. 46 "I have come [as] light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. 47 "And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandment, what to say, and what to speak. 50 "And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me."
Mr 16:16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
Peace can be found outwardly in conditions of tranquility with others but true and lasting peace is only through a right relationship with God. Spiritual peace is possible even in a fallen world filled with violence.
1Co 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Jas 3:16-17 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
What we do know is we have something valuable to share with those who are hurting and injured and frightened by circumstances beyond their control. What we can do is pray for all those affected by sin in this world that they might know that God does in fact understand. That He will ultimately right what is wrong and that true peace in this difficult time is found in His mercy available to all those who believe in Him.
