9-11 Anniversary

Few days in American history have shaken us as much as September 11, 2001. Images of the two airliners crashing into the Twin Towers, smoke billowing from the windows, dust rising as the buildings collapsed in New York City... fires raging at the Pentagon in Washington DC... fiery blazes from the crashed United Airlines Flight 93 in rural Pennsylvania...

Then we watched determined first responders dressed in full gear rushing down crowded streets, frightened survivors struggling to learn what had happened, grief-stricken families hearing heartbreaking reports...

Those images evoked a feelings that covered the full emotional spectrum: horror, shock, relief, confusion, sorrow, joy, disbelief, anger... You name it, we felt it that day.

Nine years have now passed and many security measures have been enforced, all of which are designed to help us feel safe. But in a world filled with evil, injustice and uncertainty, how can we fight our feelings of despair?

En Gedi

David experienced a similar time in his life as he was running from King Saul in the barren Judean wilderness. Those desperate feelings found their way onto the page when David penned Psalm 142.

He envisions his enemies hiding and setting traps for him, of being chased and feeling all alone. He was faint of spirit and felt that no one cared. There was no place of rest for him and in the eyes and estimation of the world, his situation seemed dire at best.

Saul's army was large, heavily armed, blood-thirsty and determined. David was outnumbered, tired, depressed, hungry & thirsty. In his desperate cry to the Lord he poured out his heart, but even in his cries he acknowledges that God:

• is merciful (v1)
• listens (v2)
• knows David's way (v3)
• is his refuge (v5)
• is his provider (v5)
• can rescue him (v6)
• is good to him (v7)

In the last verse, David asks God to deliver him, but not so he would feel safe or could go back home. David asked God to deliver him so he could PRAISE HIM and testify of His goodness to him.

Praising God in the midst of a trial is often difficult. When we're in the throes of grief, uncertainty, tragedy, or confusion our natural response is to focus on the problem so we can find an answer. But many problems in life don't have answers, or don't have answers we can see. How then do we refocus our minds from problem-solving to praising?

I've found these steps to be helpful in my life:

• Humble myself before God. Remember that He is with me, He is sovereign and He is all-knowing. He alone knows the full scope of my problem and He is in control.
• Pray and trust Him with the problem. No matter how overwhelming it may seem, He will use it to work out His plan (Romans 8:28). As I pray, I remind myself that Jesus is praying for me too (Romans 8:34) - how amazing is THAT?
• Ask Him to teach me. I want Him to show me all the lessons I need to learn so the trial isn't wasted on me (I don't want to have to repeat any lessons).
• Call on friends. No matter how alone we feel, God has put people in our lives who will pray with us and for us, and there are friends who are blessed when they help us. Don't be a blessing robber!
• Thank Him for my deliverance. He has my deliverance path already planned so I ask Him to give me the strength, insight and wisdom I need to move forward.
• SING! Psalm 22:3 tells us that He inhabits the praises of His people, so put some worship music on and SING!

Our nation did some of these things in the aftermath of the Sept 11 tragedy because people tend to turn to God during a tragedy. But when time passes and life gets back to a semblance of normal, God is forgotten.

May that NEVER BE! We can let the anniversary of this tragedy remind us to be a people focused on God. Let’s continue to pray for those who lead us, those who defend and protect us, and especially for those who are affected by tragedy of any kind. When we’re able, let’s freely give and lovingly serve! And when tragedy comes our way, and it WILL, remember that as Christians we are always secure in Christ (John 10:28), and we are NEVER without hope.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." ~2 Cor 4:16-18 NIV

Welcome to She Knows, She Grows!

Today we start a fun new Bible study at our church, "She knows, she grows!"  Each week we'll look at a current event and see what the Word has to say about it.  As I work on these lessons, I'm amazed at the timelessness of God's Word. It's always fresh and can teach us about ANYTHING that's happening in the world around us!

What would Jesus do? Based on the classic novel “In His Steps” by Charles M. Sheldon, the WWJD movement introduced a long line of merchandise such as jewelry, bumper stickers, bookmarks, bible covers, t-shirts, desk plaques, etc. WWJD merchandise is still widely available and is intended to remind us that no matter WHAT happens, we should respond in a way that Jesus would.

But think for a minute about ALL the things that are going on in the world. Things are happening EVERYWHERE and, because we live in the age of information, we are hearing about a lot of them through television, radio, newspapers, magazines, internet… they even FOLLOW us now on our cell phones!

Personally, it’s information overload. In fact, I stopped watching the 11:00 news because after I had watched it I couldn’t fall asleep!! Seriously, how CAN you relax and drift off to sleep when we learn taxes are going up, or chocolate causes cancer, or Brett Favre is retiring? AGAIN!!

Whether we watch the news on TV or listen to it on the radio or read newspapers or magazines or internet reports, news reports are designed to alert us and make us think. It’s important to remember that news reporting is a BUSINESS – photographs and videos are strategically shot, stories are carefully written, and the scripts are thoughtfully read by reporters and news anchors.

I love to watch and study newscasts. I think it’s interesting to see what stories lead and close the newscast, the transition from national news to local news and from hard news into something like health or entertainment or sports. I notice the music they play. I pay attention to the words and phrases that flash on the screen to get your attention. I study the news anchors – I watch their facial expressions and listen to their voices – how they use tone & inflection & how they modulate their voices as they read the stories. Even the backgrounds and colors and fonts are carefully chosen and positioned. NOTHING on a newscast is random – everything is intentional and is designed to help us with the way we process the information, which is highly complex.

People can see the same event and have different responses and perceptions of it. A simple example: Thanksgiving. What comes to mind when you think about the Thanksgiving holiday?

No doubt there are images of pilgrims, baked turkeys, food-laden tables, autumn decorations and people being together.

Some people imagine big families with lots of little kids running around and people laughing and playing games and having a great time. Somebody else might envision long hours of grocery shopping and cleaning and decorating and cooking and washing dishes. Someone else may think about being alone or volunteering to work that day.

So when each of us thinks about the topic of THANKSGIVING, different images come to mind that stir different emotions in us that cause us to have different reactions to it because it represents something different to each of us.

The person who would rather be alone may have memories associated with a fractured family, and may feel sad or resentful. To her, Thanksgiving may represent something she always wanted but never had.

The person with the long to-do list may feel unappreciated because the responsibility of the "family fun" falls to her. To her, Thanksgiving may represent an obligation.

And for the person who has happy memories and joyful feelings, could she still be thankful if she was experiencing a heartbreaking loss?

Regardless of our emotions, experiences or expectations, we can have the mind of Christ. We  need to identify WHY we react a certain way, push past the messages of the world, then look at what the WORD has to say so we can adjust OUR thinking to match GOD’s infinite and unfathomable mind.

God’s thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and we’re instructed in Romans 12:2 not to follow the pattern of the world but to be transformed by renewing our minds. The word "renew" comes from a word that means “renovation – a complete change for the better.”

The way we start our mental renovation is to know God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active, and like a double-edged sword. When we KNOW what the Word says about something, we can think and pray about what is right (Phil 4:8). “Right-thinking” will transform our minds because at the exact time we need it, the Holy Spirit will pop that verse in our heads. This “AHA!” moment will give Him the chance to remind us that  1) God is still on His throne, 2) we’re secure because our hope is in Christ, and 3) we need to share with the people around us (who are AMAZED at the quiet confidence we have) the hope that we have in Christ.

No panicking, no stressing, no fretting – just the same confident assurance that Jesus had, and we’ll DO what Jesus would DO.

If you're in the Roanoke area and would like to join us, please do!! This class is open to the public. We meet at First Baptist Church downtown from 6:00-7:00 PM in Room A-310 (Church Parlor). Each week we'll address a different topic, there is no book to buy, any homework is optional, and a handout with scripture is provided in case you forget your Bible! This is a great way to introduce your friends to the study of God's Word. Discussion is encouraged so feel free to come any time and bring a friend!