Praise the Lord! I read a psalm today that started and ended with that very phrase, and how appropriate that is for us. We should begin and end everything we do with praise for our Lord. Since we are speaking of reading, I also read that school shootings are rare and that we should not worry about our children. Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t even have any children and I am of the opinion that school shootings have become all too common. What can possibly be the reason for this? I don’t recall reading or hearing about any school shootings when I was younger; it seems to be a phenomenon of the 1990’s and later. However, that may be a mistaken impression. Perhaps someone whose memory stretches farther back than mine can help us with that. Some would have us believe the ACLU is to blame, including Dr. Kennedy. Removing prayer from schools may not help matters, but if there is no prayer or belief in the home then prayer in school may not have much effect. However, let us not belittle the effect of prayer at any time. We can certainly encourage our children (and ourselves) to have an active prayer life in their minds throughout the day. Jesus told us to go into our closet and shut the door to pray. I would submit that we do not need to pray publicly to show our faith and belief in God. So many of us want to DO something to assure ourselves of salvation; remember the rich young man who came running up to Jesus and bowed at his feet? He asked, “What must I DO to receive eternal life?” James later tells us to show our faith by doing good works, but to receive the gift of eternal life we simply believe in Jesus. That is difficult for us to grasp, “Yes I believe, but what must I do?” No, the first step is to believe and as you look at grace by faith, you come to realize that simply believing in Jesus is at odds with the world and that believing is not so easy in all things. When the world questions our faith, usually implying that only simpletons would fall for this or that, we must rest in the strength of our Lord.
Intellectuals in the world will have many very convincing arguments, and the evidence to support them, attempting to put our faith in the realm of simple-mindedness or foolishness. Jesus told us the world would do this, so we should not be surprised. The demands of your life; working, raising children, perhaps attending night classes, and learning each day from the Word of God, will probably be about as much as your poor mind can stand. Certainly I have found this to be true, and I don’t have the kids part to worry about. All that I don’t know about God’s creation does indeed make me feel simple, and praise God for that! Jesus thanked God for giving knowledge of the Word to those who are simple and hiding it from those who think themselves wise. As we grow in faith, we will see examples of that time after time in the media and in classes. Secular humanists are very intellectual in the worldly sense and very smug in their “knowledge”. Praise God for showing me each day just how much I do not yet know and praise God for sending his Son to show us the way to himself.
One good step to reduce school shootings might be to assure our children that they are in fact beloved creations of an almighty God. The schools try to tell them that they are the results of evolution from some cosmic accident; it is not to wonder why the little ‘uns have self-esteem problems.
Praise the Lord!
Bucky
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