As I am up and about this morning, Father, I am grateful for all of Your many blessings. May I live out my life this day as an expression of that gratitude. May my actions towards others be a reflection of Your love and care for me. Amen.
Matthew 2:16-23 (<<click the green)
What a horrific act on the part of King Herod, to feel so threatened by the possibility of a new “king” that he would call for the annihilation of all the boys two years old and younger in and around the area of Bethlehem! If there was ever a man that could be labeled as wicked it was Herod.
We live in difficult times for there are many “wicked” people throughout our world doing (or contemplating) many horrific things. We may need to run but we need not be immobilized by despair. The evil of sin has run rampant since the beginning of time but God will not be thwarted.
Lord, I surely don’t begin to understand why bad things happen to good people or good things happen to bad people for that matter. You said that the Father “sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:45)
The old adage is true that we’ve made our bed, now we must lie in it. We have made the world what it is and we must live in it. We have been given free will to do as we please and on many fronts, we have made a mess of things but Your will will not be undone or held back.
Lord, I realize that this life will be full of hurt and pain but I also realize that I can be a catalyst for love and comfort. You can use me to accomplish Your will. I can be an instrument to thwart evil in the world around me.
The Apostle Peter shares these words of encouragement:
6So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
8You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9
Amen, so be it.
Sept 18th, Mon, 6:29 am
